Strength
by Lela-of-Bast
Summary: Growing up without a mother, Elizabeth Bolton was always very close to her father. But then one day he gets a phone call that will change both of their lives. This is their story. Please R & R.
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** This is my first HSM story. The first chapter is dedicated to setting the story up, and we'll get into the plot more next time. Please let me know what you think. And if you're waiting for one of my TP stories- bear with me; they're still coming!

Also, if you see any mistakes, feel free to point them out. Thanks!

**Disclaimer:** If I owned HSM, I would be living in some mansion somewhere, counting truckloads of cash, not working fast food for minimum wage.

**Strength**

A High School Musical Story by Lela-of-Bast

"Breakfast is ready, Beth!"

Elizabeth Bolton slipped dainty feet into blue flip-flops. The almost fifteen year-old girl was readying herself for school. She often wore her long brown hair in a braid, but she had opted to be different on this day. As she arranged her hair around headband, her blue eyes sparkled in the mirror. Her hair and her eyes were both traits that she had inherited from her father.

"I'll be right down!" Elizabeth called, doing a final comb-through of her hair. She tucked a hair tie into her gym bag for practice, also checking that she had her tennis shoes and clean socks.

Elizabeth was the third generation of Boltons to play basketball as a East High Wildcat. Her father, Troy Bolton, was now a coach at the school, as her grandfather had been many years before. Only Troy coached the girl's team, the Lady Wildcats. The other team was coached by her father's best friend, Chad Danforth.

Elizabeth dumped her gym bag and her backpack on a bench by the front door, then went into the kitchen. Her spot at the counter was set with a bowl of oatmeal and a glass of orange juice. The oatmeal was sprinkled with brown sugar, and it had begun to form a sugary glaze, just the way Elizabeth liked it.

"I'm going to leave a little early for school this morning," Troy said, washing his own breakfast dishes in the sink. "I want to get through that pile of paperwork that is taking over my desk." Elizabeth smiled.

"It is getting a little on the large side," she agreed.

"Well, I never dreamed that there would be this much paperwork involved with coaching a team. There are all kinds of releases and permissions slips. I should get a trophy for getting it all done."

"If you ever do," Elizabeth said, getting a scoff of agreement from her father. She stirred her oatmeal. "I think I'll walk to school then. It's very nice out."

"Before you leave, could you take out the steaks to defrost, please? Aunt Taylor and Uncle Chad are coming over for supper." Elizabeth, mouth full of oatmeal, only nodded. Troy came around the counter to hug his daughter. "Love you," he said, kissing the top her head. He did that every time he left the house. She swallowed.

"Love you too, Daddy!" Elizabeth called after her father. Twenty minutes later, she had washed her dish and was about to take out the steaks when she noticed the calendar that hung on the refrigerator. It was January fifteenth.

Elizabeth didn't think about how fast the new year was starting, or the fact that her birthday was only five days away. What stuck in Elizabeth Bolton's mind was that it was the anniversary of her mother's death. That was why her father had left early for work. He always felt kind of sad on that day.

Elizabeth wandered into the living room and sat on the carpet next to a tall bookcase. The bottom shelf housed the Bolton family photo albums. Elizabeth chose the seventeenth book and began to page through it. Her mother had made an album for each year of her life. This one was filled with pictures from the junior year of high school. That was the year that Gabriella Montez had come to East High School and met the love of her life, basketball star Troy Bolton.

Three years graduation, Troy and Gabriella had a summer wedding at the Lava Springs Country Club. Elizabeth had seen dozens of pictures of the wedding and the early years of the marriage. She knew that her mother and father were very happy with each other. Every picture proclaimed their love and devotion.

The joy and love deepened five years later, when Elizabeth was born. Troy and Gabriella planned trips to the zoo and days in the park, even though their baby was too young to remember any of them. Elizabeth was glad that they had taken a lot of pictures, because the pictures were the only way she could see how happy they were.

Five days before Elizabeth's first birthday, Gabriella had gone out shopping with her mother and her daughter. Troy told Elizabeth that he was at basketball practice when he got a call from the hospital. Gabriella had been stopped at a red light. When it turned green, three cars in front of her entered the intersection. When her turn came, Gabriella followed the other cars, and at that moment a semi-truck came barreling from the crossroad and smashed into her car.

Troy said that he saw the car, about a week after the accident. The only part of the vehicle that was not wrecked was the rear middle seat, where Elizabeth's car-seat had been strapped in.

From the day of the accident, it had been just Elizabeth, and her dad. Elizabeth had always been amazed at the strength she saw in her father. It couldn't have been easy to move on and raise a child on his own, but he'd seen that he and Beth made it through each day relatively unscathed.

Elizabeth's cat, Bradley, rubbed against her arm, bringing her back to the present. She wasn't sure how long she'd been sitting there with the albums, but she knew she had to leave or be late for school. As she tucked her mother's picture into her pocket, Elizabeth's cell phone began to chime, announcing an incoming text message.

The girl pulled the phone from her pocket and pressed a button to see the id on the front screen. The message was from her father. His messages were usually a source of amusement, as Troy insisted on taking the time to type out each word and add proper punctuation. With a smile, Elizabeth flipped open her phone to read the whole message.

Where are you, Beth? You  
said that you would walk, and  
I am getting worried. School  
started ten minutes

It was so long that Beth had to stop and scroll to the next message to read the end.

ago. Are you alright?

Adrenaline beginning to flow, Elizabeth pressed a few buttons to send a reply message.

im ok. omw.

As soon as it cleared she took off for the front door, grabbing her bags as she passed by. She took off down the street in a run. Somewhere in the back of her mind, it registered that her father's car was still in the driveway, meaning he'd walked too. She wasn't surprised. He didn't like to drive on January 15th.

The walk between the Bolton residence and East High normally took about twenty-two minutes. Elizabeth made it in ten.

She signed in at the office, dropped her gym bag in her father's office, then headed to English class. The other students were reading quietly. Her best friend, Brooke Lewis, waved and mouthed 'what's up?'. Elizabeth ignored her friend, resolving to later remind Brooke of the day. She wasn't about to further interrupt Old Lady Grier's class.

Most of the students believed that Mrs. Grier had been teaching English when Shakespeare wrote Hamlet. Elizabeth knew that she'd been teaching since her grandfather was a senior at East High, and that was far too long for her taste. The students all called her Old Lady Grier; everyone was afraid of her, even the principal.

Without making a sound, Elizabeth gave the teacher her note, then settled into her seat to read the last ten pages in Beowulf.

When she looked up again, a yellow detention slip was on her desk. Elizabeth sighed. Throughout the day her best friend managed to collect slips of her own. Elizabeth knew that Brooke had gotten in trouble on purpose, but she didn't call her out on it.

Ever since her parents' junior year, being a Wildcat meant being part of a family. It was a strong tradition, and Wildcat spirit continued to persist over the years. Family was always there for you. That was why Brooke had her back.

Besides, the Spanish teacher only punished Brooke for telling the truth; Mr. Ramirez's sweater-vest really did look like something a cat had puked up.

After school, Elizabeth and Brooke walked to detention together. Elizabeth was upset about missing basketball practice, but Brooke lived for the theater and was more than happy to help paint sets for the winter musical.

Ms. Kelsi Neilson had been a composer since she was young, and had grown up a Wildcat herself. Now she ran East High's music program. Ms. Neilson was one of her father's old friends, as well as her old piano teacher, so the smile Elizabeth gave as she handed over her detention slip was genuine.

"I don't think I've ever seen you in detention before, Lizzie," Ms. Neilson said after she'd set them each to a task. "What did they get you for?"

"Jaywalking!" Brooke joked from the wall she was painting. Elizabeth gave her a Look, but otherwise ignored the comment.

"I was late this morning," she answered, stapling scales to a large purple fish. Ms. Neilson seemed upset.

"And she wrote you up? Today of all days! …Old Lady Grier is such a compassionless old fart," she muttered to herself. Elizabeth smiled to herself as she stapled, glad that Ms. Neilson was part of her Wildcat family.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:** So here's chapter two. A little more plot info, and a little more introductory stuff. Now I have to go finish my psychology paper. This is much more fun to write.

**To My Reviewers:  
****Browneyedswimmer:** Thanks! **Dreamer 3097**: Thank you. **luvinNaley7413:** Thanx for reading! **Lady Zarobiti:** I don't usually write anything but TP, but this plot bunny attacked me the other day (he was hiding under my bed, disguised as a dust bunny) and I had to write this. Thanks for reading. **a**: Thanks for reading! **x17SkmBdrchiczxx:** Thank you so much for the complement. I hope to post another chapter of HCFW within a week or two. **4-eyedDragon:** Thanks!!

**Strength**

Chapter Two

"I'm sorry I missed practice, Dad," Elizabeth said as they walked home.

"Well, if Mrs. Grier thought that detention was a better way for you to spend the afternoon, who am I to argue?" he said, stuffing his hands in his pockets. He remembered the teacher well.

"At least it was educational- how else would know that the purple fish in the musical has exactly three-hundred and eighty-five scales?" Troy chuckled, looking towards their house. A gray SUV was in the driveway.

"Uncle Chad and Aunt Taylor beat us," Elizabeth observed.

"It looks like they made themselves at home," her father added, watching as the Danforth boys ran about in the backyard. Jack, the older boy, was eight years old, while Baby Jacob was only 18 months. Elizabeth liked to play with the boys and they were close as cousins. She'd been calling Taylor and Chad her "Aunt" and "Uncle" since she learned to talk.

Troy went into the house to get dinner started, but Elizabeth opened the gate and entered the backyard. Jack ran up to her, yelling her name excitedly.

Baby Jacob toddled over, following his brother's example.

"Izzie!" Elizabeth grinned, settling Jake on her hip.

"I got a new video game. Do you want to see it?" Jack said excitedly. Elizabeth agreed and Jack took her free hand, pulling her over to the back deck. She set the baby free and talked to Jack about his new game for a few minutes, then settled into a chair next to Taylor.

"Hi, Lizzie," she said, giving her a hug. "How are you today?"

"I'm great. A couple more weeks and we have our championship game. The team is so pumped; we're ready," she replied. "Hi, Uncle Chad."

Chad was busy fiddling with the grill, so he only waved. Troy came out and joined him. Soon the delicious aroma of steak was filling the backyard. Taylor cooked up some baked potatoes, sautéed mushrooms, and green beans to go with the meat.

They all sat around the outdoor table. Elizabeth, Chad, and Troy talked about college basketball, and Taylor was occupied with feeding Jacob his supper, and making sure that Jack cut his steak into small bites. They were another aspect of Elizabeth's family, but as she gazed around at the people that she cared about, she couldn't help but feel that something was missing.

When the phone rang, Elizabeth stood.

"I'll get it," she said, reaching inside the back door to pick up one of the receivers. "Bolton residence."

"Hello, my name is Susan Hilliard. I'm a RN at the Highland Clinic. May I please speak to Troy Bolton?"

"Just a moment," Elizabeth said politely. Then she called "pass!" and tossed the cordless over to her father as if it were a basketball. He caught it easily. "It's for you, Daddy. Some nurse."

Troy looked at the handset warily. "Did they say where they were from?"

"A clinic that started with 'h'… Highview? Highland?" Elizabeth watched the color drain from her father's face. Taylor and Chad looked at him, surprise obvious.

"Answer it, Troy," Taylor scolded. Troy went inside and closed the sliding glass door. From the outside, Elizabeth could hear the rumble of his voice, but couldn't make out the words he was saying, especially over the babbling of Little Jacob. Adding the stricken attitudes of Taylor and Chad to her father's shock, Elizabeth began to get the feeling that something was dreadfully wrong.

Troy came back outside, now carrying his keys. He spoke in short, crisp sentences, hurrying to get his point across.

"They need me. Can you stay?" Taylor stood.

"Of course. Don't worry about Lizzie. Is everything okay, Troy?" She asked. Troy sighed.

"I don't know." He hurried out of the door, even forgetting to give Elizabeth her kiss.

Chad stood up. "Homework time," he announced, clearing plates.

"Mine's done," Elizabeth said softly, watching around the side of the house as her father's Honda CR-V disappeared down the driveway.

"Ooh! Good! Then you can play Kingdom Hearts with me!" Jack said excitedly. Elizabeth smiled half-heartedly. As she set up the game and tuned the television to the correct channel, her mind was plagued with questions about her father's odd behavior.

Before she and Jack started their game, Elizabeth went into the kitchen to get each of them a Gatorade. Taylor and Chad were doing dishes and speaking in low tones. They didn't notice Elizabeth at first.

"I can't believe he just rushed off without even saying a word to Lizzie," Chad said. "Maybe we should let her know what's going on."

"No, Chad. It's not our place to tell her. We have to leave that to Troy."

"I know, but if I were-"

"What's going on, Aunt Taylor?" Elizabeth interrupted, making her presence known. Taylor sighed and dried her hands on a dishtowel. Then she gave the girl a brief hug.

"Honey, your dad will explain everything when he gets back," Taylor said.

"That's hardly a satisfactory answer," Elizabeth said.

"Why don't you go back to your game? I'll make you a sundae to help take your mind off of things," Taylor offered. Elizabeth gave weak smile, then wandered back out into the living room, thoughts of Gatorade far from her.

In her absence, Jack had began the game without her, and she knew from experience that he wouldn't easily give up the controller. Instead of trying to concentrate on watching him and giving helpful advice, Elizabeth slipped out into garage. That room was not a place to park the car, as in most houses, but a place to play ball. She picked up the basketball closest to her.

The ball was pink and white, with flowers and the word "Elizabeth" on the sides. It was a birthday gift from her grandmother. Elizabeth started shooting hoops. Exercise always helped her focus when her mind was cluttered. When she was on the court, she never thought about anything except the game. She'd been exposed to basketball for as long as she could remember. She knew the plays and the bodily movements in her very core, and this allowed her to come into an almost mediation-like state. She found it very relaxing.

When she finally came back inside, Elizabeth had worked up a good sweat. Taylor was leaning over a sleeping Jack, taking the controller from his hands, and covering him with the couch's throw. She smiled at Elizabeth.

"Your ice cream is in the freezer," she whispered. "I didn't want to disturb you; You looked like you were concentrating."

She thanked Taylor, then went into the kitchen. Chad was sitting at the counter, a dish of Neapolitan and the sports page in front of him. Elizabeth checked the college basketball scores, downing a bottle of water.

"You okay?" the man asked.

"I'm fine, Uncle Chad," Elizabeth said, sitting down across the counter from him with her sundae. "I'm just a little confused. My dad never acts like that."

"He did when you were born," Chad said with a chuckle. "I've never seen him so nervous."

"Really?"

"He drove halfway to the hospital before he realized he'd left your mother standing in the driveway."

"He apologized at least twenty times," Taylor said. "He always gets this way like when someone he loves is in pain or distress."

"So this is about someone Dad cares about?" Elizabeth said thoughtfully.

"We can tell you that much," Chad said.

"Well, thanks for that at least, and the ice cream. I'm going to go take a shower." Elizabeth went up into her bathroom.

Her father was an only child, and her mother's family was gone. Elizabeth had a limited number of people that her father could be visiting. She pondered this as she took a shower, using nearly half a bottle of her favorite stress-relieving aromatherapy shampoo.

When she was dressed in her favorite pajama shirt, Elizabeth climbed into her bed. Bradley the black cat curled up next to her, and Elizabeth fell asleep to the sound of his purring.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN:** Alright, this chapter is a big ball of fluff. It's centered around Troy and his secret, so answers here are revealed. Thank you for the response on this so far. It's good to know what ya'll are thinking as you read this. That said, enjoy this next chapter. –LoB

**To My Reviewers:  
****Lady Zarobiti:** Let me know if you guessed right. I'm interested to see if what you thought was going to happen. **browneyedswimmer:** Thanks! **4-eyedDragon:** Thank you for your review. **dreamer 3097:** Kind of. Thanks for reading. **footychick:** Thanks for letting me know you read. **a**: I appreciate it! **CopperIslander:** I love the music and the story of HSM, but as far as drama and being able to captivate me totally, Tammy wins, hands down. I mean, I once had a dream about Meathead. It was kinda scary… Thanks for reading!

**Strength  
**Chapter Three

Troy could hardly believe it. The nurse on the phone had been calling in reference to his wife. Gabriella was not dead. She had been hurt very badly in her car accident, and she'd gone into a coma before the ambulance even got her to the hospital.

The doctors told Troy they could not be certain when Gabriella would awaken, if she ever did. He had been called to the hospital, and immediately sent to the trauma room where his daughter was being examined. He remembered the day vividly.

"_I'm very sorry, Mr. Bolton."_

_Tears ran down Troy's cheeks. He gently stroked his daughter's cheek with one thumb. His touch woke Elizabeth and she began to wail. Troy gathered her up in his arms, holding her close. _

_He was so thankful to have her near in the midst of the tragedy. Elizabeth gave him a reason to live. Even whispering this to her, Troy could not calm his baby down. Gabriella had always sung to her. Troy thought he should give it a try._

"_You are the music in me_…"

_As he sang his voice was shaky with sobs, but Elizabeth calmed. When she slept, Troy kissed her forehead gently. _

"_It's okay, Beth. Everything will be fine. We can get through this together."_

When he arrived at the Highland Clinic, Troy jumped from his car and went inside. A nurse looked up at him from the front desk.

"May I help you?" Her nametag read "Susan." Troy recognized her voice from the telephone.

"My name is Troy Bolton. I got a call-"

"Bolton!" another nurse interrupted. Susan smiled.

"Your wife is the miracle of the year! You must be so happy!"

"I will be when I see her," Troy agreed.

"Of course," the nurse said. "I just need you to sign in on our visitor log and Maggie will take you in."

Troy scribbled his name on the clipboard and accepted a green sticker with the word "visitor" printed on it.

"What was it that made her wake up after all this time?" he asked.

"She had contracted a touch of the flu, and she was given a medication called amantadine. Brought her right out," Susan said with a smile. "But the doctor will tell you more about it later. She was called out on an emergency, and she plans to be back early in the morning to talk to you and your wife."

Troy nodded. Dr. Kilan would be talking to him and his wife. Gabriella was okay. It still felt too good to be true.

"This way, Mr. Bolton." The second nurse, red-headed Maggie, lead Troy through a set of swinging doors and down a long hallway. He had been to visit Gabriella a few times over the years, but the dark blue carpet and peachy walls were not even somewhat familiar. Near the end of the hall Maggie turned to him.

"Dr. Kilan had her moved to a room in the recovery wing when she woke up. She doesn't need all that machinery to keep her alive anymore," Maggie bubbled. Troy understood the excitement. The odds had always been against Gabriella waking up. "Well, here we are. If you need anything, just buzz the front desk." Maggie looked reluctant as she left him alone.

Troy took a deep breath. He'd been wanting this moment for fourteen years. This was it. Slowly he turned the doorknob. Gabriella was sitting up in bed. When she saw him, he heard her gasp.

"Troy…" Slowly Troy walked towards her outstretched arms. When he was within touching distance, Gabriella ran her fingers over his face, dwelling on the crow's feet that were beginning to form near his eyes. "It really has been fourteen years," she whispered.

Troy caught her trailing palm and kissed it. A moment later he had pulled her into his arms. He held her tight, barely able to breathe with the need to hold and kiss her. His shirt grew wet; they were both crying.

"Oh, Gabriella," he breathed at last. Setting his forehead against hers. "Finally."

"What about our daughter- Troy- how is Elizabeth?" Troy grinned, wiping his eyes.

"She is perfect, Gabriella. She's happy and healthy, and everything we'd always dreamed of."

"Is she beautiful?" Gabriella questioned. Still grinning, Troy fished his wallet out of his back pocket. He opened it to a picture taken at a basketball game earlier that season. He was standing with his arm around his daughter as she held a gleaming trophy.

"She still looks like me," Troy said, handing over the picture. Gabriella gazed at the picture, eyes gleaming with pride.

"I see she inherited the Bolton Basketball gene," she commented. Troy nodded.

"And when she sings rainbows appear, flowers bloom, and little forest critters gather around." Gabriella giggled. Troy felt giddy hearing that sound again.

"I want to see her," his wife said, looking at another picture in his wallet. This one was of her and Troy while she was still pregnant with Elizabeth. Troy loved that picture.

"Soon, Gabriella. I promise."

"Why do you keep saying my name?" she asked. Troy's eyes glistened with fresh tears. He hadn't felt so much raw emotion in ages, but he was loving every minute of it.

"Because I thought that you and I would never be together again," he answered emotionally. Gabriella patted the bed, allowing him to crawl under the blanket and snuggle in beside her. Troy didn't hesitate. He was perched precariously on the edge, but Gabriella was in his arms, and that was all that mattered. She rested her head on his shoulder and Troy smelled roses in her clean, dark hair. He had never been so content.

Troy sat holding his beloved for over an hour before he broke the silence.

"I lied to her, Gabriella," he said quietly.

"Who?" she softly asked. If she was startled by his sudden speech, she didn't show it.

"Beth. I lied to Beth. She thinks that you died in the accident, Gabriella." Troy sighed with self-frustration. "I thought that Beth and I would never be able to survive if I built our life around waiting for you to wake up. The doctors all told me that Beth was more likely to turn green than you were to wake up." He paused again and clasped her hand. "I'm sorry I didn't have faith." He looked at Gabriella to try to judge her reaction. She didn't look angry.

"Troy Bolton, don't you dare be sorry about anything!" she began. "You had to raise Elizabeth all on your own. Sure, our friends and family would have helped you, but in the end _you_ are responsible for her upbringing. I know you, Troy. You did the very best that you could. And I, for one, think that you made the right choice."

"I did?" He didn't trust his ears. Gabriella was glad that he'd told their daughter she was dead.

"Yes. It wouldn't have been good for her to grow up at my bedside, hoping that I would wake up. Thank you for keeping her safe and being a good father."

"I'm a good mother too," Troy quipped. "I make the _best_ oatmeal."

Gabriella's eyes sparkled. "I'm sure you do. With cinnamon?"

"No, brown sugar. Cinnamon is for hot chocolate, of course," Troy quipped.

"Mmm. That sounds good," Gabriella said with her warm smile. It was the smile that Troy had first fallen in love with. "All I've had was soup and an orange. I can't wait to taste your home cooking."

"I'll cook whatever you want. We'll have a big dinner the night you come home, just the two of us and Elizabeth," Troy was getting excited.

"I'd like that," Gabriella said, kissing him again.

"So, what did the doctor say?" Troy was curious. Her legs were covered by blankets, but her arms looked thin and very weak. After all that time of idleness, would Gabriella's muscles and bones support her?

Gabriella told him that she was looking at several months of therapy, but with a wheelchair, she could go home within a week.

"A week, Troy, and I'll finally be home," she said with a smile. "I'll be with you and Elizabeth. And you can teach me about the world, and help me find a place in it. Part of me is sad about all the time I've missed; I'll never get those memories back. But a bigger part of me just wants to move on and adjust. I'm so excited about that, Troy."

Troy squeezed her in his arms again. He knew no feelings other than love and contentment. For the night, it was Troy and Gabriella, like it should be.

"I love you, Gabby," he whispered.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN:** Now its time for Elizabeth to meet her mother. Enjoy the new chapter!

**To My Reviewers:  
****Browneyedswimmer:** Thanks! **a:** Thank you **4-eyedDragon:** I wasn't going to have her be angry, but she was turning out to be a Mary Sue, and her being angry seemed to help it a little. Thanks for reading and reviewing. **Lady Zarobiti:** Great guess! Thanks for r&r-ing. **dreamer 3097:** Thanks! **CopperIslander:** Thanks for reading! You know, I have an easier time picturing Zac too. I guess its because I just watched this movie he made last year, called "The Derby Stallion," where he rides horses (it gets a familiar feel because his father loves and and wants him to love baseball.). It's pretty good. **Skyline Romance:** Thanks! **xmomoxashxzanessax226:** Thanks for reading!

**Strength  
By Lela-of-Bast  
Chapter Four  
**

When Elizabeth woke up, her father was sitting on the edge of her bed.

"Good morning, Sweetie," he said. He was dressed in faded pajamas, his face unshaved, eyes underscored with dark circles. Automatically, Elizabeth glanced at her alarm clock, certain that she had forgotten to set it the night before. She was right; it was nine-thirty.

"Are you okay, Daddy?" she asked, rubbing the sleep from her own eyes.

"I'm fine. I just didn't get any sleep last night. I already called in to work. You can stay home too, if you want." Elizabeth had no intentions of being late two days in a row. Sitting up, she looked at her father.

"If I stay will you tell me what happened yesterday?" she asked, hugging her knees.

"Sorry I rushed out like that. We do need to talk about it. That phone call from the Highland Clinic was about your mother."

"My mother is dead," Elizabeth said, her face scrunched in confusion. "What did the clinic have to say about a car accident that happened when I was a year old?" Troy took a deep breath.

"Beth, what I told you about the accident was true, only she did not die. Gabriella- your mother- has been in a coma for all these years. Back when it all happened, the doctors told me that they had no way of knowing when, if ever, she would wake up."

Elizabeth's brain rushed to process her father's words. "What?"

"You were just a baby, and all of a sudden I was solely responsible for you; I really didn't know what to do, or what to tell you."

"So you lied to me," Elizabeth stated flatly. She was still trying to comprehend what her father was saying. The idea that her mother could be alive had never crossed Elizabeth's mind.

"I know. Bad choice on my part," her father admitted. "But I believed that what I was doing was the best for both of us. To tell you then would have been to take away your chance at a semi-normal childhood."

"But you lied to me," she repeated. Elizabeth was not sure how to react. She had never been so mad at her father before.

"Beth-" he began.

"Please go away," she whispered. "I need to take it all in." Troy sighed, patting her arm softly.

"I love you, Elizabeth."

She didn't say anything. Troy left the room, dejection showing in the slump of his shoulders.

When her door closed behind him, Elizabeth turned to her nightstand, pulling a well-worn picture of her mother out of the drawer. The picture was Elizabeth's favorite, because it was taken at the hospital, just one day after her birth. Her mother was holding her little baby, smiling with all the joy of motherhood.

Elizabeth felt her eyes well up with tears. Though she had never been unhappy growing up with her father, part of her had always longed for the love only a mother could provide, the love she saw manifested in this picture. Realizing the gravity of the whole thing, Elizabeth began to sob. Sometimes a girl just had to have a good cry, and this was a _very_ good cry.

From his spot in her window seat, Bradley yawned and stretched, sauntering across the room to stand on Elizabeth's lap and rub her tears dry. The cat clearly didn't enjoy his mistress's distress. Elizabeth giggled through her crying, and gathered the cat into her arms for a hug.

"Oh Bradley! I should be so happy. I have a mother! But all I can think about is that he lied to me." The cat mewed pathetically, hoping to be released. He was okay with comfort, as long as it was on his terms. Elizabeth continued, "I mean, I understand what he said about taking away my childhood. I wouldn't have wanted to grow up at her bedside, but couldn't he have told me without taking me to her? I'm a mature girl, I could have handled that much." Bradley cried again. His fur stood out at all angles, and when Elizabeth set him free he returned to his window seat and mustered all his dignity to bathe his fur back into order.

The more she thought about her situation, the more Elizabeth realized that her father had made a good decision. He was only looking out for her. What's more, when she put herself in his shoes, with a spouse unlikely to awaken and a newborn to care for, Elizabeth decided that she would have told her child the same thing.

She swung her legs over the side of the bed, donning a robe and a pair of slippers.

"Enough pouting," she told her cat, patting him on the head. Elizabeth went downstairs and stood outside the kitchen door. Her father was not in that room. He wasn't in the living room, though some photo albums were lying across the coffee table.

Elizabeth checked the laundry room before she realized that he had to be in the garage. She wasn't the only one who vented with basketball.

Troy was throwing the ball towards the hoop. It was the pink one that Elizabeth had used the night before.

Quietly, Elizabeth watched through a crack in the door. He missed three of four shots. When he turned, dribbling, she noticed that his eyes were rimmed with red. He'd been crying too.

Elizabeth pushed the door open and walked forward a few steps. He flung the ball again, and missed once more.

"I love you too," Elizabeth said quietly. "Daddy, I'm sorry." She felt so much more than she could find words to say, but her father didn't seem to need to hear it. He pulled her into a tight hug and felt it instead.

"I'm sorry too," he said, stroking her hair. "I got so caught up in the excitement of having your mother back that I didn't take the time to stop and think about your feelings."

"I _am _glad that my mother isn't dead. It was just such a shock, and I didn't know how to react, like when Brooke's brother died last year. And I can't wait to get to know my mother. It has always been one of my dreams to be her little princess, just like I am to you."

"I don't want to lose what we have in the chaos that is sure to be coming. We are going to have a lot of catching up to do with your mother."

"Did she ask about me?" Elizabeth wondered, crossing the room to get a ball. She dribbled twice, then passed it to her father. Troy caught it easily.

"She wanted to know if you were beautiful," he said, passing the ball back to his daughter, who had moved further up the court. "And she wants to see you. I thought that we could go this afternoon, if you feel up to it."

Elizabeth launched the ball into the basket. She caught it from underneath and let it rest on her hip.

"I'd like that."

…..

Two hours later Elizabeth was watching out the car window as the Highland Clinic grew closer. The building was painted white, with old fashioned pillars and dark green shutters. It looked very cozy. Rows of hedges lined the road that led to the parking lot.

Elizabeth followed her father up the stairs, looking at the flowerbeds. She nearly ran into her father, as he stopped to hold the door open for a family. Three little boys, a middle-aged gentleman, and a girl about Elizabeth's age came out, each with tear-stained cheeks and red noses. Their sad faces told a tale of a lost loved one, probably the family's mother.

Elizabeth kept her eyes on the back of her father's shoes, afraid that if she looked up, she'd meet their looks and have to answer to the uncomfortable situation. She felt an arm around her shoulders. Troy had sensed his daughter's distress. He passed through the door and smiled softly to comfort her.

"We've been there, haven't we?" Elizabeth whispered, leaning her head on his shoulder.

"I looked a lot worse than that man did," he said. "I was so stupid. I only had one child to take care of."

"We survived," Elizabeth noted. Her father nodded.

"And so will they. It just takes time."

"Hello, Mr. Bolton," a nurse said, brightening as they came in. Elizabeth had seen many women give her handsome father similar love-struck looks, but he had never done anything more than be a perfect, polite gentleman. She had wondered why he didn't return their flirting. _Now I know why_, Elizabeth thought, realizing that her mother was in this building.

"Well, hi there, Ms. Maggie. How are you today?"

"I'm great," the redhead replied. Her eyes moved to Elizabeth. "Is this your daughter? She's gorgeous."

"Thank you," Elizabeth said.

"Are you excited to see your mom?" another nurse, Carolyn, asked. Elizabeth could only nod an answer. Troy's arm tightened around his daughter.

"She's going to love you," he said. Elizabeth grinned. Her father continued, speaking now to the two nurses. "Besides, it will do her good to have her mother around, and not just her goofy old dad."

"Never old," Maggie said, chin in palm, leaning her elbow on the desk. Carolyn elbowed Maggie and her arm slipped, causing her to stumble forward against the desk.

Distractingly, Elizabeth's cell phone began to play _The Phantom of the Opera_ overture. That was Brooke's ringtone. Elizabeth pulled the phone out of her purse and pressed the "ignore" button.

"Do you want to talk to Brooke before we go in?" Troy asked as he signed the visitor log.

"If your dad wants to go on ahead I can take you back when you're ready," Maggie offered.

Elizabeth smiled politely.

"No thanks. My father always tells me that my phone conversations last at least three and a half hours. If I get on now, I might miss visiting hours," she joked, turning her phone off all the way.

Maggie nodded, and crossed the room to a filing cabinet. She looked disappointed at losing another chance to see Troy.

The second nurse, Carolyn, handed each of them a visitor sticker.

"You remember the way, Mr. Bolton?" she said.

"I'll never forget," he said, smiling dopily. Apparently, he was still on a natural "high" from happiness.

Elizabeth followed her father once again, glancing over her shoulder to see Maggie. She was watching them leave, arms crossed over her chest.

"He's happily married," Carolyn hissed.

Elizabeth turned her thoughts from the woman in the lobby as she and her father drew nearer to their destination. Elizabeth had a million questions about the mysterious woman who was her mother. Was she bitter about the years she had missed? Was she as pretty as the pictures at home? Most importantly, would her mother like her?

Elizabeth had spent much more time picking out her outfit. It was even more difficult than when she attended the wedding of one of her father's high school friends, opera star Sharpay Evans. Of course, Sharpay had given Elizabeth a three-hundred and fifty dollar dress to wear for the wedding. This time she was on her own.

After nearly twenty minutes of deliberating, Elizabeth had finally settled on a skirt with a pink and purple butterfly pattern, and a long-sleeved white shirt beneath a pink t-shirt. She then took time to curl her hair and arrange a butterfly clip behind & above each ear. Her jewelry consisted of simple purple gemstone earrings, and matching necklace, and three silver bracelets between both wrists. When she had finally come downstairs her father's eyes had teared up, but he hid it behind the newspaper, making a comment about how grown up she looked.

"You look beautiful," he whispered now. They stood at the door of her mother's room. Elizabeth barely heard him over the pounding of her own heart. "She's going to love you, Beth. She always did." Troy gave his daughter one last hug, then pushed the door open.

"Good morning, Mrs. Bolton," he said with a smile. Elizabeth watched from the doorway as her mother grinned, extending both arms for a hug.

"Hi, Troy!" Gabriella said. Her voice sounded soft and musical. Her eyes twinkled with merriment as she smiled over Troy's shoulder. Then she caught sight of Elizabeth. She released Troy from the hug, clutching his hand. She asked, "Is this her?" Her eyes never left Elizabeth's face.

"Yes," Troy whispered, reaching his free hand out towards his daughter. "Beth?" Elizabeth took a deep breath and made her feet step towards her parents. She had been painstakingly keeping her eyes on her father. When her father put his hand on her shoulder, Elizabeth found the strength to look up.

"Hello, Elizabeth," her mother said. Now she held her arms out for her daughter. Elizabeth stumbled forward into the hug.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN:** Well, here I am with another chapter of this story, when I have plenty others I should be working on. For those who have been reading, I promise I will have another chapter to "Hope Comes from Within" before I do anything else. It might still be a week or so. My boss seems to think that because school is out, I want to work all day, every day. Oh well, I need gas money.

**ReviewReplies:  
dreamer3097:** Thanks! **Skyline Romance**: Thank you. **X.ZaC-eFrOn-Iz-StUnNiN.X:** Thanks for reading! **4-eyedDragon:** Thanks for your review! **Lady Zarobiti:** I like Maggie too. I think she will be making an appearance again soon. Thanks for the review! **a:** I will update them soon! I promise! Thanks for reading! **x17SkmBdrchiczxx:** We've had a busy week too. I had graduation from my community college, and then mus sister had her senior prom that same night, and my other sister had to work, and a few days later I got what feels like the flu. This is a very busy time of year. I'm almost wishing for the Christmas rush. Well, thanks for always reading!

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**Strength  
**A High School Musical Story  
By LelaofBast

Chapter Five  
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Gabriella's eyes glistened with tears as she held out her arms again, this time for her daughter. When Elizabeth moved close enough, Gabriella held her tight. The last time that she had held that girl, she was only an infant. Until this moment, she hadn't quite believed that her baby had grown up. Her own tears mingled with her daughter's, and she barely noticed when father backed away to give them a moment.

"You are so pretty," Gabriella said at last, wiping away tears.

"So are you," Elizabeth returned. Gabriella, wiped away her daughter's tears.

"Oh Elizabeth," she breathed, taking both of her hands. She opened her mouth, closed it, and then opened it again. "I'm not quite sure what to say."

"Me either," Elizabeth said, sopping up fresh tears with a sleeve. "I missed you."

"I missed you too, Baby." It was silent again and Troy came closer.

"Tell your mother about school," he suggested.

"Where do you go?" Gabriella questioned, sending Troy a grateful look.

"East High," Elizabeth said, looking relieved to have a topic she could talk on without thinking about it. "I'm a Wildcat, just like Dad. I'm captain of the girl's basketball team and in a few weeks we have our championship game. West High beat us last year, but we're really pumped up now, and I think we have a shot of winning." She watched her mother. The woman was listening intently.

"What about your studies? Do you do well?" she asked as Troy pulled two tall chairs up beside the bed.

Elizabeth seated herself and then answered, "I like reading and history, but I am having a tough time in chemistry."

"Is it the math part?" During her senior year, Gabriella had used her free period to help with a tutoring program for her classmates that were not doing so well.

"Some of it," Elizabeth said, looking nauseated by the way the topic was turning. "I got really stuck when with limited reagent problems. And Dad is absolutely no help with that class."

"Hey!" Troy protested. "I tried to help you with that take-home test." Elizabeth grinned.

"And I got a 65. That is why Aunt Taylor has been tutoring me instead."

"Taylor McKessie?" Gabriella interrupted. Her heart leaped happily when she heard her daughter call her best friend "aunt." She was very glad to hear that Taylor was still around.

"Yes. She and Chad have been living in Albuquerque since he got out of the NBA. They have two little boys. They've always been there for me and Elizabeth," Troy put in. Elizabeth had pulled up a picture of the Danforth boys that had been stored on her phone. Gabby looked at it and grinned.

"I can't wait to see them."

"She'll be around before long," Troy said with a chuckle. "If I hadn't been brining Beth here today, Taylor would already be camping out. She decided to spend her day making phone calls to all of our friends and let them know about your miracle recovery."

"What else, Beth? Your father said that you sing." Gabriella noticed that her daughter blushed softly. She didn't like the attention any more than Troy had at that age.

"A little bit. I've been in a couple musicals, but just small parts. My friend Brooke is the theater-geek. She loves musicals. Tryouts are this week for the winter musical, and Brooke has been so excited, because they're doing "The Phantom of the Opera." That one is her favorite."

"Tell your mother that you are trying out too," Troy pushed.

"Daddy," she mumbled, looking even more embarrassed. Gabriella decided that her daughter was very pretty with pink cheeks. A moment later the girl looked back up. "I don't want a big part. I just like to be part of the chorus. I love the singing and dancing in the big musical numbers."

"How about boys?" Gabriella said. "Are there any special ones in your life?"

"Only one," Elizabeth said, smiling at her father again.

"Good answer," he teased, tickling her ribs. Gabriella pulled her daughter into another hug.

"You two are so close," she said. "I can't wait until I am part of this sweet little family we have here."

"You're already part of it," Beth said softly. "Dad told me all about you. I saw pictures from "Twinkle Towne," and your graduation, and even my birth. I know how much you love me and Daddy. I'm sad that I am not as close to you as I could be, but I just know we're going to fix that. I love you, Mom."

Gabriella patted the spot beside her on the bed, and Elizabeth climbed up.

"It's going to be a rough couple of months," Troy conceded, "But with a little hard work we will have you caught up in no time. It will be like you never left."

"Troy, my daughter is not going to shrink to bassinet size and let me feed her with a bottle. We can't go back in time. We have to make the best of the time we are given together. Now when you come back tomorrow, I want you to bring some photo albums and I want you to tell me about all the Christmases and Halloweens and birthdays my daughter has ever had."

"That might be a problem," Elizabeth said. "See, Dad's idea of a 'scrapbooking' is to put each set of pictures in a shoebox in one of our closets. The boxes are labeled with either the year or how old I was, but not both. It's really random, and confusing and hard to find anything."

Gabriella wasn't surprised. On the contrary, she was pleased. It meant that Troy had not completely changed since their early marriage. Every time he had folded towels, Gabriella had to rearrange them in the closet. Whenever he put away dishes, he always put the coffee mugs on the wrong shelf. Those two chores, along with putting away groceries, became things that Troy was not allowed to do.

Troy looked at Gabriella sheepishly.

"Oops?" he tried. "At least now you and Beth can put together new scrapbooks."

"That's a good idea," Elizabeth said happily. "We will all have to help, though, so everything gets put in the right order. It'll help Mom catch up."

"I can't wait," Gabriella said, settling back into the pillows.

There was a knock, then at the door. Gabriella looked up to see a tall brunette entering the room. Dr. Amanda Kilan smiled brightly at the Bolton family.

"I'm sorry to interrupt. I just wanted to check on you this morning," she said, opening a medical chart. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm wonderful," Gabriella said, grasping Elizabeth's hand.

"I have the results from most of the tests we ran, and your prognosis is looking very good. You will be released to go home the day after tomorrow."

"What about walking?" Troy asked. "How long do you think that will take?"

"Of course, that varies based on the patient. I'd say two to six months," Dr. Kilan said, pushing her glasses higher on her nose. "Over the next couple of days, we plan to help you make any necessary arrangements. We'll talk to a physical therapist, and arrange for a wheelchair. Another thing you'll have to decide is how you want to deal with the press."

"What does the press want with us?" Gabriella said.

"Mother, you are a living miracle," Beth pointed out.

"She's right," the doctor agreed. "I've already had twelve messages from reporters who want to cover your story. And that's just the local newspapers, and channel seven news. It won't be long before morning talk shows give you a call. Of course, you are entitled to your privacy, but it won't stop the press from trying to find out more about you. People are very interested in stories like yours; they give hope."

"Well it's something to think about," Troy said, hands in pockets. "Is there anything else we need to know? Do you need additional funds for any of the therapy and recovery costs?"

"Oh, Mr. Bolton, there's still plenty in your account," Dr. Kilan said in a voice that showed she couldn't believe he asked. "You will be reimbursed for the remainder as soon as possible."

"There's no hurry," he said, lacing his fingers with Gabriella's. "As long as my Gabby is ok, that's all I need to hear."

"Well, since I'm not wanted, I'll just move out with Bradley," Elizabeth piped up.

"Don't you dare," Gabriella said, shaking Troy's hand off to take her daughter's.

"I'll just leave you all alone. If you need anything, please remember to buzz the front desk." With that Dr. Kilan retreated.

"I thought you didn't have a boyfriend," Gabriella told her daughter.

"I don't," Beth replied.

"Then who is Bradley?" Gabriella asked. She shot her husband an accusing look, as if blaming him for hiding a boyfriend from her. Elizabeth giggled, opening her phone to reveal a black cat.

"He's my kitty," she said, showing Gabriella her wallpaper. "I've had him since I was ten. He was just a little baby then. He showed up on our doorstep one night, and he refused to leave. I begged Daddy to let him in. It was a Monday. Dad held out for three whole days; on Thursday afternoon Bradley was in the living room when I came home from school, and he was sleeping on this giant cat condo."

"I'm a sucker for a cute face," Troy said with a shrug.

"Hers or the cat's?" Gabriella asked mischievously.

The Bolton family talked for hours. There was so much to tell Gabriella, and she loved hearing the sound of her daughter's voice. She hoped that one day her daughter would feel comfortable enough to sing for her.

Around six in the evening, Elizabeth's phone rang. Reluctantly, she pushed the "ignore" button. A moment later it rang again.

"Answer it before Brooke has a stroke," Troy said, merriment in his eyes. "Tell her we'll be leaving here soon and you'll call her back."

"'Kay," Beth said, crossing the room to sit near the window. For a few mintues, Troy and Gabriella listened to the one sided conversation.

"Hey Brooke!…no…no… sorry…He did what?…Her?...Is he blind?..." She put the hand over the phone and rolled her eyes at her father. "Jonny Feldman asked out a different girl today. Brooke's probably going to go on for awhile."

"Is he the one with the spiked hair and the unibrow?" Troy asked. "Brooke likes this boy?"

"Hello! She's only been talking about him for a year. Wake up, Dad."

"And I've only been tuning out your girl talk for two years," Troy said. Elizabeth stuck out her tongue at him, turning her attention back to the phone.

"Yeah, I'm here…sorry…yes…well, sorry, but you will _never _guess what I did today."

"Brooke's quite the drama queen," Troy said lightly to his wife. Gabriella gripped his hand.

"Thank you for bringing her. I can't believe what an amazing young woman she's turned into. And that's all you, Troy."

He blushed faintly. "There's a lot of you in her too."

They lapsed into a contented silence. It gave Gabriella time to think. There was something the doctor said that had been bothering her.

"Troy? What account was Dr. Kilan talking about? I mean, how did we afford all this medical care?" Troy took a deep breath, checking that Elizabeth was thoroughly engrossed in her phone call.

"Gabby, yours was not the only car hit by that truck. Three other people died. One of the other families decided to sue the trucking companies for pain and suffering, and they won a great deal of money. When that happened, the business decided to settle with the other family, and then they contacted me and offered me compensation. I'll never forget the way that the lawyer worded it. He said: 'in the sum of 2.5 million dollars.'

"I wasn't going to take it, but then Taylor talked me into it. Elizabeth's future is secured. I put half of the money into a trust fund for her. She's set for college, and whatever else life throws at her. With the rest I bought the house, and paid off my car, and of course covered your medical expenses.

"Wow," Gabriella said softly. "That's a nice safety net. Like we always talked about saving up."

"Gabriella, when you come home it's going to be the life we always wanted. I'm so excited."

"Me too," Gabriella said, eyes straying to their daughter.

"Of course she is…Brooke…Brooke…I'll call you back when I get home…Brooke…ok…ok…Bye." Elizabeth stuffed her phone into her purse. "Phew. Sometimes you have to just hang up on her to get her to stop talking."

"She sounds like a lovely girl," Gabriella told her daughter.

"She tries. You know theater people. Very dramatic, but we basketball people still love them," she said lightly.

"Beth, we need to get going. I'm sure you have some homework to catch up on before school tomorrow."

"Will you come back tomorrow afternoon?" Gabriella said, disliking the thought of being alone.

"We'll leave straight from school," Troy confirmed. He kissed her softly. "I love you, Gabriella."

"I do too," Elizabeth said, coming over for a hug. Gabriella grasped her tightly.

"Good bye, Baby-Girl," she said. Elizabeth followed her father to the door. They turned, his arm over her shoulders.

"Bye, Mom."

Gabriella watched her family leave, then settled back into her pillows. She flipped the television on to one of the news stations. _New weather girl_, she thought. _They need to replace the anchor. He's ancient_.

She didn't last too long. The ancient man was also boring. Gabriella spent more time thinking over her visit with her family than she did learning about the world on the television. When she fell asleep that night, she did it with a smile on her face.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: **Another long update. I know. Sorry. My personal computer is broken, and I'm not sure when I'll have it working again. Thanks to my reviewers. I love you all!

**Strength  
Chapter Six**

The next morning Troy and Elizabeth were ten minutes early for school. As her father pulled into the parking lot, Beth looked in wonder at the front entrance. News vans from channels 6, 9, and 12 were parked there, and three camera crews were positioned nearby.

"Did someone spray-paint the Wildcat statue in the foyer again?" Beth wondered.

Troy furrowed his eyebrows. The reporters were gathered outside the building. One pointed at his car as he got out. "This has got to be one of the strangest things I've ever seen," he said vaguely. He took Beth's gym bag. "Stay with me."

As soon as he made his way for the school entrance, the reporters swamped him.

"Mr. Bolton, may we have an interview?"

"How does it feel to be reunited with your wife after all this time?"

Elizabeth was cut off from him. She knew that once they realized she was his daughter they would be sticking their microphones in her face too. She looked around for an escape route.

"Psst! Lizzie!" Elizabeth saw Ms. Neilson stick her head out one of the side doors. "Over here!"

Beth ran over, sighing with relief when the door clicked behind her. "Are you alright?" Ms. Neilson asked, patting her on the back.

"Yeah. That was just weird."

They made their way down the hall and towards the main entrance.

"Did you see your mom?" Ms. Neilson asked. Elizabeth nodded happily. "And?"

"She's wonderful, Ms. Neilson."

"Lizzie, we've known each other forever. Call me Kelsi, or 'Aunt' Kelsi if you prefer," she insisted.

"Alright- Kelsi," Elizabeth said awkwardly. Kelsi smiled and put an arm around Elizabeth.

"I can't wait to see her," she said as they rounded the corner. Troy and the principal were standing in the hallway ahead of them, just next to the un-defaced Wildcat.

"What is going on?" Beth asked.

"They want to know about your mother," Principal Guthrie said.

"Gabby's doctor said they might," Troy said. He turned to the principal. "I'm sorry. I expected lots of phone calls and emails, not hounding at work. I'll be talking to the police immediately."

"A right to privacy outranks freedom of press, and our students deserve a place to learn where distractions are minimal," she agreed. "You can use the telephone in my office."

Troy put his arm around Elizabeth, giving her a quick squeeze.

"If any of your teachers need a note, have them call over to my office and I'll send one," he said. Elizabeth nodded, and Troy went off with the other adults.

"See you at practice," she called after him.

Elizabeth shouldered her book bag and walked to English class. Brooke was already there, sitting sideways in her seat. She was wearing a black shirt and jeans, and Beth could only assume that she was mourning the loss of Jonny Feldman. She smiled sympathetically, turning down the aisle that their desks were in.

"Miss Bolton, may I speak with you?" Mrs. Grier called. Elizabeth turned back to the teacher's desk.

"Yes ma'm?" she asked pleasantly.

"Do you have a note for your unexplained absence yesterday?"

"My dad said to-"

"You are not exempt from the rules just because your father works at the school, Miss Bolton," the teacher interrupted.

"But Mrs. Grier-"

"No 'buts' Elizabeth. Here is your detention slip for today. You will continue to earn detentions until I have a note. Is that clear?"

"Yes, ma'm," Elizabeth said again, this time in a different tone. Then she remembered that she was supposed to visit her mother right after school. "May I please serve this detention another day? My mother just woke up from a coma, and I am supposed to be at the hospital-"

"Would you ask a cop to arrest you another day? Of course not. Crime is followed by consequences, Miss Bolton. Please take your seat so that class may begin."

Elizabeth's cheeks flushed and she turned around. Brooke shot her a compassionate look as she walked over to her seat. She got all the way there before she noticed the very cute boy who occupied her chair.

"I'm sorry. Is this your desk?" he drawled, brushing wisps of blond hair out of brilliant green eyes. His voice was musical. Something about him made butterflies swirl around in her stomach.

"No, it's okay. I'll sit over here," Beth said, moving towards the seat behind Brooke. Old Lady Grier told the class to take out their copies _Beowulf_. Most of the class had not finished reading it, but Elizabeth had. So instead of reading, she pulled out her silenced cell phone and sent a text to Brooke.

WHO is that?

A reply came almost instantly.

Daniel. Tall. Dark. Mysterious. New Kid.

LOL why didn't u tell me?

my life sux

o. jonny iz a losR

There was a reply, but Elizabeth didn't get to see it, because an age-spotted hand reached for her cell. The phone was in the pocket of Mrs. Grier's sweater before Beth could even blink. Brooke's phone went right behind hers.

On the way out of the classroom, Old Lady Grier called the two over to her desk, and handed them each a detention slip.

"Having a difficult week, aren't we Miss Bolton? Your parents can pick your phones up in the office."

…..

As Taylor made her way down the corridor of the Highland Clinic, she stuck a pink "visitor" sticker onto her shirt. When she reached one of the last rooms, she stopped and looked inside.

Gabriella was sitting up in bed while a redheaded nurse drew blood. The nurse finished up and came into the hallway.

"Are you here to see Mrs. Bolton?" she asked Taylor.

"Yes, I am," Taylor said with a big smile.

"Do you know when Troy Bolton will be coming again?" the nurse asked dreamily. Taylor didn't like the look on her face.

"Sorry; I'm not sure," she said, noting that the nurse's name was Maggie. Maggie shrugged and continued on her way. Taylor shook her head. She hated when women flirted with married men, but it irritated her even more given Troy and Gabriella's circumstances.

Dismissing these thoughts to ponder later, she peeked into the room again. Gabriella was flipping idly through the television channels. Her lunch sat before her, mostly untouched.

"Hey Sleepy-Head," Taylor said cheerfully. Her friend dropped the remote and grinned up at her.

"Taylor! It's so good to see you!"

Taylor hugged her small frame with all her might. "Sorry to interrupt your soap operas."

"Please interrupt. I have no idea what is going on in any of them anymore," Gabriella said. "And I don't think that I could handle another bite of this hospital food."

Taylor looked down at her friend's meal. "You'd think with all this place charges Troy they could afford better food," she commented. "Yet my husband would eat it without a second thought."

Gabriella grinned.

"Troy said you and Chad have sons. I want to hear all about them." Taylor pulled a large photo album out of her bag.

"I thought you would," she said, flipping to a page near the beginning. "Three years ago, we got ambitious and decided to make a trip to Disneyland. That's Jack; he's eight now. I also have Jacob, but he's only eighteen months old, so he wasn't even thought of yet."

Gabriella pulled the book onto her lap.

"Troy and Beth went too," she stated, pointing to one of the pictures. "Was it fun?"

"Tons of fun," Taylor said with a nod. "Troy's parents came along, and so did Lizzie's friend Brooke and her family. I think we should make another trip, though, now that you can come along, Gabby."

Gabriella paged through the book. From time to time she would make a comment or ask a question, and Taylor did her best to fill her friend in.

"There's a lot of pictures of my family in here," she said when she finished.

"Well, Chad and I spent a lot of time with Troy after your accident. He had a hard time picking up the pieces, and we felt like good friends should be there." Gabriella's eyes glistened with tears.

"Thank you."

…..

During free period, Elizabeth went to the gym to make up some of the practices she'd missed. She probably should have tried to serve her detentions, but she was still upset about getting them in the first place.

To her surprise, none of her teammates were in the gym. However, it wasn't empty; the new boy was shooting baskets.

"That was a great shot," Elizabeth said after he'd sunk one.

"Um. Thanks. I didn't know you were there." She smiled.

"My name is Elizabeth Bolton."

"I'm Daniel Cunningham. Well, Danny," he said.

"It's nice to meet you, Danny," Beth said, extending her hand. He shook it with a grin. "So do you play a lot of b-ball?"

"I was on the team back in Wisconsin," he said. "We were the Bear Creek Beavers."

"What brings you to Albuquerque?" Beth asked, collecting the ball from where it lay near the net.

"My parents just got divorced and my mom decided she needed a change. She has a friend from high school that works at National Hospital, and he got her a job there. So here we are."

Elizabeth wasn't sure what to say to that.

"How about some one-on-one?" she suggested at last.

"Depends," he said lightly. "Are you any good?"

"Decently," she replied, starting to dribble.

Fifteen minutes later, Elizabeth had worked up a sweat. Danny was a very good basketball player, but he was still two points behind her.

"You're quite modest, Bolton," he said when she'd won. "You're a lot more than 'decently' good."

"It runs in the family," she said with a grin.

"It sure does." Beth and Danny both startled at the sound of the new voice. Neither one had noticed that Chad was observing them from the sidelines. "Her father and grandfather were both East High Wildcat Champions."

"Hi, Uncle Chad," Elizabeth said.

"Hi, Lizzie," he replied. "Mind introducing me to your talented new friend?"

"Oh, sure. This is Daniel Cunningham from Bear Creek, Wisconsin. Danny, this is Chad Danforth. He's a former L.A. Laker, my father's best friend, and the coach of the boys' basketball team here at East High."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Danny said.

"You're talented, Danny. I hope we see you at try-outs next season."

"You can be sure of that, Sir," Danny replied. Chad gave him a light-hearted grin, then turned back to his surrogate niece.

"Your dad was looking for you. Seems he got an unpleasant email from Old Lady Grier…"

Elizabeth groaned. Danny just looked amused to be hearing Mrs. Grier's nickname from a school authority figure.

"Tell him I'll explain later," she said. "After detention but before we go see Mom."

"Will do," he said, tossing a basketball over his shoulder. He made the basket.

"So do you have lunch 1 or 2?" Beth asked Danny. He pulled a crumpled schedule from his pocket.

"One. Then I have chemistry. Ick." He made a face to show his disgust.

"Ick is right," Beth agreed, sticking out her tongue. "What room are you in?"

Danny glanced at his schedule again. "Room 274, with Mr. Escalona."

"I'll be there. My friend Brooke and I have the same class."

"Brooke… the goth girl?" he asked.

"She's not goth; she's just…dramatic," Elizabeth said in defense of her friend. "Yesterday a guy she really likes decided to talk to another girl. It kind of devastated her."

"Speaking of drama… you said your mom was in a coma?"

"Yeah, well I thought she was dead," Elizabeth said softly. She was in a car accident a few days before my first birthday. Then she woke up a couple days ago, and I met her yesterday."

"That's a pretty cool story," Danny said. "So I guess you and your dad are close."

"Yeah. We're all each other had," Elizabeth said. "Listen, I have to go change, but why don't you sit with me and Brooke at lunch. I've never been the new kid, but it doesn't sound like fun."

"It's not that bad; I mean, I've got such a pretty tour guide."

Beth blushed. "See you at lunch."

…..

"So what about the others?" Gabriella asked after she and Taylor had been talking for awhile. "What happened to them?"

"Well Ryan has been producing Broadway plays for four years now. He's up for a Tony award. He is engaged to this pretty little singer that he discovered last year. They're really cute together.

"Sharpay is still a diva. She married Zeke about two years ago, and she's due to deliver her first daughter in a few weeks. Zeke opened a bakery in New York and that's doing quite well. Right now they're staying at Lava Springs until the baby comes. Zeke thought New York City is too busy and noisy for Sharpay while she's pregnant.

"Kelsi is going to marry Jason in May, and then they want to have a baby. She's been teaching drama and music at East High for ten years."

"It sounds like everyone is doing so well," Gabriella said with a sigh. "I can't wait to see them all."

"Well they can't wait to see you either," Taylor assured her. She leaned over to hug Gabriella. "Listen sweetie, I have to go pick up my boys from daycare and school. I'll come back when I can."

"The doctor said I'm going to be released tomorrow afternoon."

"Then I'll visit you at home," Taylor insisted. "Maybe we can throw you a big 'catch-up' party next weekend."

"I might like that," Gabriella said with a smile. "Bye,Tay."

"Goodbye Gabby!"

She had an idea. Taylor walked out of the door and pulled out her cell phone. She dialed Troy's number, then pressed a button on the Bluetooth that was in her ear. It rung twice before he answered.

"Bolton here," he said in greeting.

"Hey, Troy," Taylor said, getting into her car. "Gabriella said she's going to be released tomorrow. Are you excited?"

"I feel like a kid at Christmas," he admitted.

"I was thinking that we should get the gang together sometime to see her. I thought it would be best to wait until next week, but what do you think about tomorrow night?"

"I think she'd love that," he said. Taylor heard a smile in his voice. "I'm going to pick her up at about four tomorrow."

"So I'll call everyone and let them know to be at your house around six-thirty, seven o'clock?" she said, sealing a time.

"Sounds perfect," he said. "Listen, Old Lady Grier gave Beth two more detentions today. I have to go try and get her out of them. I'll talk to you later, though. We have to figure out what we're going to do about food."

"Leave all the details to me. You just focus on your family, and bring Gabby home on time. Okay?"

"Promise," Troy said. "Bye Taylor."

…..

"I don't know about this," Troy said. Elizabeth grinned up at him.

"It's only twenty minutes, Dad," she said. Her father had confronted Mrs. Grier, and the old lady had decided that she would let Elizabeth out of her two forty-minute detentions, if she and Troy each served twenty minutes that afternoon.

"Your mom is going to be waiting for us," he said.

"And you'll have an interesting story to tell her," Elizabeth countered. Troy sighed.

"At least I don't have to probe the mounting evils of cell phones," he mumbled.

"Don't be so sure, Bolton," Kelsi said from nearby. She pointed to Elizabeth and then to a candelabra and a bucket of gold paint. "You paint," she instructed before turning to Troy. "Paint or glue?"

"He wants to glue," Elizabeth answered for him. "He can't paint to save his life."

"Hot or super?" Kelsi asked.

"Not super," Elizabeth said. "We don't need another puzzle glued to the coffee table."

"It's unique," Troy insisted. "And I can too paint."

"That's why Bradley got painted when you tried to redo my bathroom. I had the only green cat in the neighborhood."

"It brought out the green in his eyes," Troy said with an easy grin.

"Follow me," Kelsi instructed merrily. "I think the staple gun is relatively harmless."

"I wouldn't count on it," Beth whispered as her father passed by. Troy balled up his detention slip and launched it at his daughter.

"Missed me," she teased, getting to work on the candelabra.

"Boltons," Kelsi said, shaking her head in mock frustration.

Troy and Elizabeth shared a grin. "That we are."


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: **I bought a book called Writing Magic by Gail Carson Levine, one of my favorite author. It's a how-to book on writing. I've been reading a chapter every week or so. At the end of each chapter, she gives a little writing prompt, and I have to write a short story. I am loving it, because it's excellent practice. I am a firm believer that a writer should practice every chance they get. I keep a spiral notebook in my car so I can write whenever I get a spare moment. At work, I write on napkins on my break. Lately its all original characters and stories.

By now you are probably thinking: _**Why the heck am I telling you all of this?**_ Well, while reading that book, I have begun to feel an extreme sort of guilt about the lack of updates on my stories here. I apologize to anyone who is reading. I'm going to try harder to update more often.

To all my reviewers: it's been so long since the last chapter, I'm sure you forgot what you even said, but thank you for your reviews. I really do appreciate every single one.

Now, onto the story. This chapter was originally going to be about Gabriella's homecoming, but then I remembered musical auditions, and apparently Elizabeth had plans of her own. The rest of the chapter kind of wrote itself. Therefore Gabby comes home next time.

Okay, I'm shutting up now. Please let me know what you think!

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**Strength  
****Chapter Seven  
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_In sleep he sang to me,  
In dreams he came.  
That voice that calls to me  
And speaks my name.  
And do I dream again?  
For now I find,  
The phantom of the opera is there,  
Inside my mind…_

Elizabeth cheered as Brooke finished her audition song. Her friend was the last girl to try out for _The Phantom of the Opera_. Brooke bounced down the stairs from the stage. Obviously her despair about Jonny Feldman was over. As Brooke resumed her seat next to Elizabeth, she watched Kelsi take center stage.

"Thank you, everyone," Ms. Neilson said. "You all did an excellent job. Results will be posted on Monday."

The students began to filter out of the auditorium.

"How did I sound?" Brooke asked.

"You were awesome," Elizabeth reassured her friend. "No one else was as good as you; you're practically guaranteed the part."

"You were good too," Brooke said.

"I wasn't focused. I can't stop thinking about my mom."

"I can't wait to meet her," Brooke said. "She sounds like an amazing woman."

"She's wonderful, Brooke. I'm excited to have her home tonight. It will be like I have a real family." As the girls moved down the hall, a red-headed boy called out to Elizabeth. His name was Jeremy Tyler, and he was the captain of the basketball team.

"Hey Bolton! Practice game after school. Be there?"

"I have plans, but I'll ask," Elizabeth called back. Jeremy gave her a thumbs-up, then looked at someone behind her. Danny and Jeremy fell into step with Brooke and Elizabeth.

"You coming too, Cunningham?" he asked.

"Sure," Danny said.

"Excellent. I'll put you both down as skins," Jeremy said with a wink.

"Somehow I don't think my father would appreciate that," Elizabeth retorted.

"Okay, shirts it is," Jeremy said. "See you later!"

"What a dork," Brooke said when Jeremy was gone. "So, Danny, what did you think of musical auditions?"

"You were there?" Elizabeth asked, looking up at her new friend. She hadn't noticed him at try-outs.

"I was just watching. I knew how much it meant to the two of you, so I came to lend my support, as a way of saying thank you for making my first days of school easier."

"That's what friends do," Elizabeth said. Danny grinned softly.

"This is my stop," Danny said, pointing to his locker. "See you later."

Elizabeth and Brooke continued down the hall and around the corner to their own lockers.

"He's totally crushing on you," Brooke told Elizabeth.

"What are you talking about?" Elizabeth said, turning the dial on her lock. "Danny and I are just friends."

"Puh-leeze! A blind man could see the chemistry between you two. Cunningham-Bolton is East High's next primo couple. You should ask him to the Valentine's Dance."

"Brooke, we only met yesterday!" Elizabeth insisted.

"Love at first sight!" Brooke said, peeking around the locker door. "What do you like better: Danibeth or Elizanny?"

"Stop making pet names for our theoretical relationship!" Elizabeth said. "Besides I always go to the Valentine's Ball with my dad."

"Well what if he's found someone else to go with this year? Like your mom, maybe."

"I didn't think about that," Elizabeth said quietly. Her parents were so cute in the photo albums. The thought of them dancing together at her high school ball made her smile.

"You're thinking about him, aren't you?" Brooke asked softly.

"No! Look, if Danny wants to make a date with me, he'll ask me. Until then I just want to be friends with him."

"Fine," Brooke said mournfully. "But when he does ask you out, I have 'I told you so' rights." Elizabeth sighed.

"That's what friends do," she said for the second time that day.

…..

"Hey, Dad," Elizabeth said, falling into a chair in his office. She was dressed in a white East High tank top and loose red sport pants.

"I'm almost ready to go," Troy said, turning off the monitor of his computer. "Just need to file a few things away."

"Hey Dad, is it alright if I go to the practice game?" she said, pulling her leg up so that she could reach to tie her gym shoes. "I'm not used to missing this much practice. The big game is coming up. I need to get my focus back." Troy looked up from his filing cabinet.

"What about Mom?" he asked.

"Well you can go get her," Elizabeth said. "I'll catch a ride home with Uncle Chad or Aunt Kelsi and help them set up for the party."

"I don't know," Troy said. "I thought we could have a little family time before we get home and everyone wants to see your Mom."

"Dad, do you honestly want Uncle Chad in our house alone?"

"You make a good point," Troy conceded. Just then, Danny knocked on the open door. At Troy's beckon he stepped inside.

"Hi, Elizabeth," Danny said to her. "Are you ready for the game?"

Beth smiled and nodded.

"Danny this is my Dad, Troy Bolton. He coaches the girl's basketball team. Dad, this is Daniel Cunningham. He just moved here from Wisconsin." Danny smiled. Troy offered his hand and the young man shook it. "Brooke and I have been showing Danny around," Elizabeth continued. "He used to play basketball at his old school, so Jeremy invited him to the practice game. So, is it all right if I go?"

"Yes, just make sure you only ride with Uncle Chad or Aunt Kelsi, and absolutely remember your seatbelt. And call me when you get home. Understood?"

"Yes, Dad," Elizabeth said, shouldering her gym bag. She kissed Troy's cheek. "Thanks. Love you."

"It was nice to meet you, Sir," Danny said as he followed Elizabeth from the room. Troy watched them retreat. He had a feeling that he was going to be seeing a lot of that young man.

…..

"Next time, I call Cunningham," Jeremy said, drinking down half a bottle of water. It was halfway through the practice game, and Jeremy's team was down by five points. "Who knew he could dunk?"

"It's not that big of a deal," Danny said.

"Danny, it's a really big deal. Victory would be inevitable if we could put you in the game," Elizabeth said. "You could be our secret weapon."

"There's no way that Coach Danforth is going to put me in the game. He's got plenty of people who are actually on the team. You'll have to save your 'secret weapon' for next year."

"That's too bad," another girl said, batting her eyelashes at Danny. Her name was Megan Halbruk. She played small forward on the girl's team. She joined the team after she washed out at cheerleading. She may not have had the moves to make it on the cheerleading squad, but she aced the personality type.

Elizabeth ignored Megan's flirting, stretching her hands far above her head as Chad entered the gym.

"All right, people, look alive. I got to go, and I can't 'til you all leave so I can lock up the gym. Therefore, each team will pick your two best players, for a quick two-on-two game. First team to make a point wins. You have thirty seconds to pick your partners." He looked around at the teenagers that clustered around him. "Go," he said, waving them away.

Thirty seconds later, Elizabeth found herself standing on the court with Danny at her side. Across from them were Jeremy and a tall, dark-haired boy named Brandon.

"Oh, this will be no problem," Brandon said teasingly. He looked back at the leftover boys on Elizabeth's team. "Never send a woman to battle!"

Elizabeth crossed her arms and glared at Brandon. Chad blew the whistle to signal the beginning of the match. Jeremy dribbled towards the net. Danny started to block Brandon, but Elizabeth still didn't move. After a few more feet Jeremy made a successful pass to Brandon.

Elizabeth made her move. She quickly stole the ball from Brandon, then turned. Danny had seen her start towards the ball, and he made his way to the net. Before Brandon knew what was happening, Danny slammed the ball into the net.

Elizabeth looked at her hand, pretending to inspect a manicure she didn't have. Danny grinned at Brandon.

"And that is how woman wins the war!" he said, turning to his partner. "Hi five!"

Elizabeth met his hand. Brandon looked at her sheepishly.

"Good moves," he tried.

"Apology accepted," Elizabeth said. The lights went out.

"Get your junk, I'm needed elsewhere!" Chad called.

"See you guys on Sunday?" Elizabeth asked her friends.

"Oh, your party- gotcha!" Jeremy said.

"Am I still invited?" Brandon asked as they collected their backpacks from the bleachers.

"Yes, even though you're a womanizing pig," Elizabeth told him. She turned to Danny. "You can come too. It's Sunday at Lava Springs Country Club around one. "

"I have no idea where that is," Danny said. He fished a magic marker out of his backpack and began sprawling digits on her hand. "This is my number. Call me with the deets."

"Okay," Elizabeth said softly. She looked up. Danny's eyes were so very green, like two gleaming emeralds. No wonder the Wizard of Oz built the city with those green stones.

"Ready, Lizzie?" Chad asked, startling her.

"Um, yeah," she looked at Danny again. "See you Sunday."

"Bye," he said, making his way towards his car.

Elizabeth climbed into Chad's convertible, and buckled her all-important seatbelt. Elizabeth grinned at her surrogate uncle. "That's the first time in my life no one sang the 'buckle-up' song," she said, referring to a jingle her dad had made up when she was little.

"I'm surprised your dad let you ride with me," Chad said in agreement. "He's made it clear that he thinks my driving skills put the general public at danger."

"He reminded me like 6 times to wear my seatbelt," Elizabeth said. Her phone chimed with the arrival of a new text message. "Seven," Beth amended.

"So," Chad said, pulling out of the school parking lot, "That Danny seems nice."

"Oh not you too!" Elizabeth said exasperatedly. "He's my _friend_."

"Sorry! I just thought that you liked him. I mean, the boy wrote his phone number on your hand." Elizabeth looked down at her hand and smiled softly. "Well, as a _friend_, would you see if you can get him to be an alternate for the big game next week?"

"Uncle Chad! I couldn't. It's like … Spiderman using his powers for evil. It just doesn't feel right."

"You could at least suggest it," Chad said.

"Fine," Elizabeth conceded. "But I'll make it clear that I was coerced into it."

"Sounds fair. BTW," Chad said, ignoring the odd look Elizabeth gave him for using text-slang in speech. "I would wash that hand before your father sees it."

Elizabeth didn't say anything. A couple of minutes later, they pulled into her driveway. Taylor's vehicle was already there, as was Kelsi's.

"'I'm here! Let's get this party started!" Chad said, throwing his arms in the air as he stepped through the door. Taylor looked him up and down.

"You don't look like our guest of honor," she said, pressing a box of white Christmas lights into his arms. "Here, make yourself useful. These are going on the patio; chairs, umbrellas, trees. I don't care where you hang them, just create something pretty. And keep an eye on the boys, too!" Chad whistled as he walked down the hall towards the back door.

"And don't let Jason climb on the roof!" Kelsi called after him.

"I'm going to change real quick, then I'll help you," Elizabeth said. She went to her room and discarded her basketball clothes for a pair of jeans and a black button-up shirt over a bright red and blue tanktop. She headed back to the kitchen barefooted.

Elizabeth had to make a detour when the doorbell rang. She was engulfed in the arms of Sharpay Evans-Baylor.

"Lizzie! You look _fabulous_! I swear you're taller every time I see you!" Elizabeth felt the woman's baby kick. She took a step back to get a better view of this family friend.

"Come, my dear. Troy will kill you if you suffocate her," Zeke said.

Elizabeth lead the new arrivals into the kitchen. Sharpay was seated at the table and given a bowl of carrots to peel. after he set down donated baked goods, Zeke joined the other men in the backyard.

"I'm so excited," Kelsi said. Elizabeth leaned against the counter and began to sample salsa and other dips. "I wrote a song for Gabby today, and I've got three more floating around in my head now."

"Does she look the same?" Sharpay asked.

"She's very thin and frail. It will be good for her to be home," Taylor said, slapping Elizabeth's hand as she reached for another chip. "I know your father doesn't like it when you snack between meals. Everything is just about ready. Why don't you and Kelsi take some of this out to the backyard."

"Okay, Aunt Taylor," Beth said, picking up a platter. When she stepped outside she was pleasantly surprised. Lights twinkled merrily. The buffet table was set with white linens and strewn with pink flowers. A banner reading "Welcome Back, Gabby!" hung above the table. There were enough chairs placed on the deck for everyone.

"What do you think, Lizzie?" Jason asked. Chad and Zeke stood proudly nearby.

"It looks fantastic!" Elizabeth assured them.

"It was all me," Zeke whispered as Beth passed him. Chad snagged a chip off of her platter as she set it down. She slapped his hand.

"I know Aunt Taylor doesn't like it when you snack between meals," she teased.

"Of course- no carbs. How else am I to maintain my girlish figure?" Kelsi brought more plates out, and Elizabeth made another trip. As they were lighting pillar candles that adorned the table, Elizabeth heard a car door bang shut.

"They're here!" she said with a grin.


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: **Does anyone else just hate their job? Lately, I never, ever want to be there. I think it's because our night crew always gets the short end of the stick. Every single day is a short-handed, rude-customered nightmare. I just want to scream.

Speaking of "Scream", if you haven't seen HSM3 yet, go see it soon! It was awesome. I usually feel guilty for spending ten bucks on a ticket (our theater is very expensive), but this movie was totally worth it. Troy was so hot. (Did I type that out loud? lol)

Since I've seen the new movie and I have the events set in my head, I might include small _**SPOILERS**_ in this chapter. Please keep that in mind when you read. Also, I this chapter ended up extra long. Enjoy!

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**Strength  
****Chapter Eight  
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"Hello, Beautiful," Troy said opening the door to Gabriella's room. She grinned.

"Hi, Wildcat," she said, holding out her arms. Troy walked into them, and kissed her softly. A few moment passed before he broke away. When he did, he closed the door and pulled the curtains over the window, flashing Gabriella a mysterious grin.

"What are you up to?" Gabriella asked suspiciously.

"I brought you a dress," Troy said, lifting up a bag he'd carried in. The dress in question was white, with a swirly pattern in black and purple. Also in the bag was a black sweater and black flats. Troy helped Gabriella change. The dress was loose, but it fit.

"This is Elizabeth's isn't it?" Gabriella asked as she pulled her hair into a braid.

"Yeah," Troy said, sinking into a chair. "I saved all your things, but I can't find the boxes in the attic. Most of it is probably out of style anyways. I figure we can rebuild your wardrobe after you've gained some weight. "

"Too skinny for you, Mr. Bolton?" she asked coyly.

"When I can circle your waist with my hands, yes," Troy said. "I thought you'd be excited to go shopping. Elizabeth can help you pick out stuff and try it on, and I'll carry your purses and bags. It will be like old times."

"Ooh I get to have my family _and_ new clothes," Gabriella said. "What more could a girl ask for?"

A nurse came in and brought all the paperwork that needed to be filled out for Gabriella to be released. Troy also had to sign a waiver that allowed the Highland Clinic to take Gabriella's wheelchair and the other supplies she would need to their house.

Half an hour later, Troy settled Gabriella in the front seat of his car, tucking a blanket around her lap. Closing the door, Troy turned to the clinic's van driver, and gave him final directions to his home. Then he climbed into the driver's seat and started the car, buckling his seatbelt quickly.

"Are you ready, Gabby?" Troy asked, taking hold of her hand. She looked nervous, but she gave an abrupt nod. Troy pulled out of the hospital's parking lot and rounded a corner towards the main road. He noticed that Gabriella let go of his hand to grip the arm rest tightly. As he prepared to turn onto the next street, Gabby grabbed the hand rail that hung over the window, gritting her teeth. The last time she had acted like this, she was going into labor with Elizabeth.

"Troy, stop!" she said before he'd even gone a quarter of a mile.

"What is it?" Troy asked, checking his mirrors for danger.

"Just please stop the car," Gabriella said, distressed. Troy pulled over, and the truck from the clinic followed suite.

"What's the matter, Gabby?"

"I can't do it. I can't ride in a car. I remember the accident, Troy. I remember the terror I felt the moment I realized that the truck was really going to hit me. Then I blacked out. I woke up for a few minutes. I heard Elizabeth crying. Mom said she loved me. I think she died right then. I remember trying to move to get Beth, but I couldn't. I was so helpless. Troy, I never want to feel like that again."

"I am a very good driver, Gabby. You don't have to be afraid."

"I was a good driver too. That didn't stop my accident from happening. Troy, please don't make me do this." Gabriella looked pleadingly into his eyes.

"I have an idea," Troy said. He made a u-turn and pulled back into the Highland Clinic parking lot.

"Is something wrong?" the truck driver asked, coming over to Troy's window.

"I've just decided that we are going to walk home," Troy said. "I'll be needing my wife's wheelchair, but you can drop the rest off at the house as planned."

"Are you sure?" Gabby asked.

"It's not as far as it seems. See that park across the street?" Gabriella nodded, and Troy continued. "That's Brooke Valley."

"Really? I've never seen it from this side," Gabby said.

"East High is on the other side of that. From there, we can be home in about fifteen minutes." The truck driver placed Gabriella's wheelchair next to the car and then drove off.

As Troy lifted Gabriella out of her seat and set her down in the chair, she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I love you," she whispered. Troy grinned.

"Right back at you."

…..

Elizabeth heard a car door bang shut.

"They're here!" she said with a grin. Everyone crowded towards the side gate, then flowed into the front yard, ready to greet Gabriella's smiling face.

Instead of Troy's CR-V, a large van with the Highland Clinic logo was parked in the driveway. Out climbed a large man in a jumpsuit like a janitor would wear. He took three boxes out of the truck, stacked them one on top of another, and carried them towards the group.

"Is this the Bolton residence?" he boomed.

"Yes," Elizabeth said.

"These are your mother's medical supplies," he said, setting the boxes down in the grass. "I need someone to sign for them."

"I've got it," Taylor said, taking the man's digital clipboard and scrawling her signature on it.

"Thank you, ma'm," he said, tipping his hat.

"Was Mr. Bolton right behind you?" Taylor asked.

"No, he and the missus decided to walk home. They'll be along shortly."

"Thanks!" Elizabeth said cheerfully. The driver got back in his truck and left. The group was very quiet. Jason, Chad, and Zeke were looking at the ground apprehensively.

"What?" Taylor asked.

"Have you ever seen those cartoons with a giant man whose shadow covers everything?" Jason asked. "That was him."

"Jason!" Kelsi said.

"Well that was mean," Elizabeth said.

"Just for that, you can carry all the boxes in," Chad said, edging towards the stack of cartons. Squaring his shoulders, Jason walked towards the boxes and grasped the top one. He lifted it slowly, walked three staggering steps, and then let it slip to the ground.

"What's in here? Rocks?" he exclaimed.

"Whimp," Chad said, hiding the word with a cough. He went for the second box, but he only made it two steps. Elizabeth took the box from him.

"It's not that heavy," she said, hauling the carton into the house.

"What does Troy feed that girl?!" Zeke said, looking after her.

"It must be spinach," Jason concluded, thinking of Popeye.

…..

Troy pushed Gabriella around the fountain in the east entrance of the park. She was close enough to run her fingers through the water. Gabriella giggled as minnows nibbled at her fingertips. She pulled her hand out of the water and reached up for Troy's.

"I used to bring Elizabeth here in her stroller," she said. "When it was warm enough I let her kick her feet in the water."

Troy looked down at his wife. She was biting her bottom lip, pondering the memory. Her eyes lit up as they rounded the last corner of the path.

"East High looks the same," Gabriella said. Troy pushed her wheelchair to the crosswalk so that she could get a better view of the school, and began a narration of the tour.

"Home of three generations of Bolton Basketball Stars, it is East High School," he drawled, trying to sound like a tv announcer. "It's the place where Chad Danforth began his basketball career, the place where lieutenant governor Taylor McKessie started out, and where the Evans Broadway Stars first shone."

"But most importantly, it's the place where the Basketball Guy fell in love with a Freaky Genius Girl," Gabriella said softly. He stopped to kiss her once again.

"I'm glad to be coming home, Troy," Gabriella interrupted.. "But if we keep stopping every two minutes, we'll never get home." Troy chuckled.

"Fine," Troy said, clasping her hand again. Ten minutes later they turned onto their street. Five more minutes, and they could see their house.

"Here we are," Troy said. "1441 Green Tree Lane."

"Who do all those cars belong to?" Gabriella asked.

"There are a lot of cats around here," Troy said innocently.

"Of the Wild variety?"

"Possibly," he returned, making the p in the word pop.

Gabriella continued. "Is this a party for me? Troy! You and Taylor planned this, didn't you?!"

"Well, Taylor planned it. I mostly just consented to it."

"Gabriella!" someone called from the front door. Kelsi ran down the steps and into her friend's arms. "Oh my gosh, it's really you!" she squealed.

"Kels!" Gabriella said, returning the hug. She looked over her friend's shoulder. Some of the others were coming around the house. "Jason! Zeke!"

The two lifted Gabriella from the wheelchair, carrying her towards the backyard.

"Sharpay! Look at you! You're glowing!" Gabriella called.

"And I can barely stand!" Sharpay said with mock excitement.

"I was hoping to get her _into_ the house before the mob attacked," Troy said to Elizabeth.

"You didn't stand a chance," Beth told him. Troy looked at Sharpay. She really could barely stand.

"Would the lady careth for a ride…eth?" he said with an exaggerated bow, arms extended towards the wheelchair. Elizabeth helped her sit down.

"Times Square, cabbie!" she said as they took off. "And there's an extra twenty in it for you if you get me there quick!"

By the time they reached the backyard, Gabriella was already settled into a wicker chair, surrounded by pillows and blankets.

"One at a time," Troy said as everyone crowded around Gabriella. Taylor, satisfied to wait her turn, went back into the house. The others dispersed a little, getting food and finding various seats.

"You don't know how good it is to see your smiling face," Zeke told her.

"I missed you guys," Gabriella said as Troy parked the wheelchair beside her. "Okay, Sharpay, since you look like you're ready to pop, you spill first. When were you married? When are you due? Boy or girl?"

"Two years ago in May, I wish it was yesterday, and a girl, I hope." Sharpay fired off the answers as fast as Gabriella asked the questions

"I think we're going to have to slow down a little," Zeke said.

"About five years ago, I took myself out to New York City and opened a little bakery called 'Fabuloso.' That's where Shar and I were reunited."

"I went in after a breakup to load up on chocolate and sugar and other carbs, and came out with a date," Sharpay added. "We were married a couple years later in Las Vegas."

"I always hated those 24-hour places," Zeke continued. "But we managed to find one that wasn't tacky. It seems a lot of people like to be married by a preacher dressed as an Elvis impersonator."

"And now, we're having our baby," Sharpay said, rubbing her belly proudly.

"I remember how I felt right before I delivered. Becoming a mother is the best feeling in the world. Did you pick out any names?"

"Well, if it's a boy, we are going to call him Cameron James," Zeke said.

"And when it's a girl, we will be calling her Miranda Ann. Doesn't that sound pretty? Miranda Ann Baylor. Fabulous!"

Gabriella grinned. "It's beautiful."

"By the way, my brother told me to hug you for him. He can't get away right now because his new play is opening tomorrow, but I'm sure he's going to come and see you soon."

Troy placed a plate of food in her lap, then he sat on ground next to her. "Mmm," she said, looking at the treats on her plate. "You all are going to have me fattened up in no time."

"What food did you miss the most?" Jason asked.

"Well I was asleep, remember, but for the last few days I've wanted chocolate," Gabriella said, placing a piece of brownie in her mouth. "They don't have any at the clinic."

"That's brutal," Kelsi said. "A girl's gotta have her chocolate."

"I know, right," Gabriella said. "So how's it been going for you, Kels?"

"Well I assume Taylor told you the biggest news," Kelsi said, holding out her hand so that Gabriella could see her ring.

"Yes! Congratulations!"

"We're going to get married in June," Kelsi continued. "And then, I'm going to try to get pregnant. You'll be in the wedding, won't you?"

"I can't wait," Gabriella said. At that moment, Taylor rejoined them from the house. Her toddler was in her arms.

"Gabriella, I want you to meet two someones," she said. Chad had his older son by the hand.

"This is Jack," he said. "And this is Baby Jake."

"Nice to meet you, Aunt Gabby," Jack said, extending his hand to be shook. Gabriella grinned, and her plate was passed on to Troy so that she could take the younger Danforth boy onto her lap.

"It's nice to meet you too, Jack. You're a real gentleman." He looked up at Chad.

"Can I eat now?"

"Go on," Chad said with a laugh.

"And little Jakey!" Gabriella said, bouncing the baby on her knees. "You're so cute."

"You've still got your motherly instincts," Taylor told her friend.

"I hope I'm a good mother," Sharpay said thoughtfully.

"Uh-oh. It's the New Mother's Self-Doubt conversation," Chad said. "I've already had this one twice. Zeke, I advise you to make yourself as scarce as I am about to become."

"You'll become scarce alright," Taylor said, passing Jake from Gabriella to her husband. "Someone is getting a little ripe."

"Come on, Zeke. I'll show you how it's done," Chad said.

"Do boys really squirt you in the face?" Zeke asked as they entered the house. Chad's lying reply of "no" was barely heard.

"I'm glad I had a girl," Troy said. "And Sharpay, you are going to make a good mother. You're a lot less petty and self-centered than you used to be, and parenthood will make you want to put the baby first."

"Well I hope I'm a good mother too," Kelsi said. "I'm a little worried."

"You shouldn't have any problems," Gabriella said. "You already have experience with children, however large they may be."

Jason was sitting in the grass with Elizabeth and Jack. They had made a basketball game with their salad. A ring formed from a purple onion served as the hoop, and the basketball was a cherry tomato.

"He is a big kid, isn't he?" Kelsi grinned.

"Score!" Jason said. "I'm winning."

"That's because you cheat," Jack insisted.

"Jason, play nice," Troy said, still at Gabriella's side.

"We need two on two," Elizabeth said. "Let Mom talk and come play with us for a little while."

After Troy was out of earshot, Kelsi turned back.

"He really missed you Gabriella."

"It was like a part of him was missing," Taylor said. "And now he's whole again. It's amazing."

They watched the basketball game in silence for several minutes. At last Gabriella looked up, smiling contentedly at her friends.

"I think I'll be up and about again soon. Being with him, and all of you, is wonderful. You remember those Chicken Soup for the Soul books they used to have? That's you guys."

"Aww! And _you are the wind beneath my wings_!" Chad crooned, rejoining them. Zeke had an interesting wet spot down the front of his jacket. The other pretended they hadn't noticed.

"That was retarded," Troy said after Chad was finished making a fool of himself.

"Yeah, well, it's better than the Buckle-Up song," Chad teased.

"The what?" Gabriella asked.

"Dad's parenting style involved a lot of jingles," Elizabeth explained. "There was one for packing a school lunch, for bath time, even for potty training. The most interesting one was the Buckle Up song."

"I think I need a preview, Troy," Gabriella said with a sly grin. Troy sighed, but sang the jingle anyways.

_I'm not gonna lie, Dad is the man_

_To be safe in the car, that is the plan_

_When I get in the car, you know I can_

_Buckle up, Buckle Up, Buckle Up_

_I wanna be real safe, that is the way_

_To keep from getting hurt, today is the day_

_Do I wanna listen to what my dad will say_

_Buckle up, Buckle Up, Buckle Up!_

The backyard was silent. Crickets chirped. Sharpay was the first to laugh. Next was Gabriella.

"That one embarrassed me in front of every friend that ever rode with us," Elizabeth shared.

"I see how it is," Troy said dejectedly.

"I'm sorry, Troy," Gabby said. "But that truly is the most . . . interesting song I've ever heard . . . please don't ever sing it again."

"So my song will never be in a musical. I know it's goofy. If that was my worst blunder with raising Beth, I think I'm doing pretty good."

"You've done a lot better than good," Gabriella told him.

"I had a lot of help," Troy said, looking around at his friends.

"That sounds like my cue," Chad said, breaking out with a grin. "What team?"

"Wildcats!" Kelsi cried. No one else answered.

"That was pitiful," Elizabeth said, looking at her 'uncles.' "Come on, what team?!"

The second response was _much _louder.

"Wildcats!"


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: **Sorry for the wait again! I have a little bit of writer's block. Thanks to the reviewers of the last chapter: **CopperIslander, x17SkmBrdchiczxx, AlexandraGrace-x, 4-eyedDragon, BOLLING, coolio1206, Lady Zarobiti, dreamer 3097, **and **DomLover**. I appreciate each and every review!

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**Strength  
Chapter Nine**

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Elizabeth's palms were sweaty as she picked up her cell phone.

_This is ridiculous_, she thought to herself. _You've called boys before._

_Yeah, to give them their basketball schedule_, she fought back. It was like she had shoulder-angels. One was shy and said she should leave Danny alone; the other wanted to be forward and call him immediately.

_Just do it. _Sprawling across her bed, Elizabeth highlighted Danny's name in her contact list and pressed the send button. _Yes!_ It rang once, then twice.

"Yello," Danny's voice called from the other end of the connection.

"Hi, Danny. This is Elizabeth," she said uncertainly.

"Oh,hi! How did your mom's party go last night?" he asked enthusiastically.

"It was great. A lot of mom's friends were here and she got to catch up. It was really cool to see a whole different generation of Wildcat family," Elizabeth said. She heard a child crying Danny's name from the other end of the line.

"Oh-could you hold on a second Beth," he asked. Elizabeth murmured a response. She vaguely heard Danny on the other end of the line. He asked the child what was wrong, then offered some ice cream to calm her. As Beth waited, Bradley jumped up onto her bed. He sat beside her, cleaning his face with one big black paw.

"Sorry," Danny said to Elizabeth at last. "I have to baby-sit my sisters while my mom is at work."

"I think it's great that you help your mom out," Elizabeth told him. "How many sisters do you have?"

"Two," he answered. "There's Amy, she's a seven-year-old art fanatic. And the one you heard was Gracie. She's two."

"She sounded awfully upset," Elizabeth noted. Bradley seemed annoyed that he had failed to capture his mistress' full attention. He stood and rubbed his entire body on Elizabeth's shoulder.

"You know, there are a lot of perks we take for granted in early childhood. Macaroni and cheese for lunch, naps every day, finger-painting, and you can cry when you don't get the last peanut butter sandwich without anyone thinking you the worse for it."

"Now that you mention it I do miss those days," Elizabeth said with a chuckle.

"Yeah me too. That's why I cut the girls' sandwiches into dinosaur shapes, like Mom used to make. Good times. But I'm sure you didn't call me to talk about my sisters," Danny said.

"Actually, I called about my birthday party tomorrow. "

"Right- at the Rolling Springs country club? I couldn't find it in the phone book," Danny said.

"Well, it's at Lava Springs…" Elizabeth corrected.

"That explains a lot," Danny said with a quiet laugh. "So, where is Lava Springs so I can drive out?"

Elizabeth gave him directions to the club. "So, I'll see you there?" she asked.

"Yep. My mom is off tomorrow. She will stay with the girls, leaving me free to party…What do kids in Albuquerque wear to parties? Up in Bear Creek it was cool to wear plaid shirts like Paul Bunyan."

"Ew. Just wear your regular school clothes. I promise you'll fit in," Elizabeth said simply. Another explosion erupted from Danny's sister.

"Okay. I gotta go. I'll see you tomorrow," Danny said quickly.

"Bye!" Elizabeth said. She thought about calling Brooke, but she didn't want to prove her friend's point. She did _not_ have a crush on Danny.

At least, not a big one.

Sighing, Elizabeth rolled over onto her back. Bradley walked across her, his pokey feet digging into her ribcage. She giggled.

"You silly old thing," she said, petting the cat. Bradley settled down on her belly, purring as loud as he could. Even about her cat's noise, Elizabeth heard the sound of her mother's wheelchair rolling into the room.

"Hi," Gabriella said with a smile. Troy parked the chair beside Elizabeth's bed and sat down.

"Good morning Mom," Beth said. Her mother looked around her bedroom. There was a definite theme to the room. Though the walls were plain and white, they were accented by red draperies, including East High pennants and banners. The border around the top of the room was red text, with phrases such as "Go Wildcats!" and "What team?" Between each set of words the Wildcat emblem was painted. There was a shelf above Elizabeth's desk that housed her basketball trophies. Centered over all of it was a picture of Elizabeth, Troy, and his father, Jack, all dressed in their Wildcat fanfare.

"Dad decorated when I was little," Elizabeth said, flushing lightly. She sat up, letting Bradley slide off of her lap.

"I can tell," Gabriella said, taking her husband's hand. She looked at the wall opposite the trophies and saw that it was covered with posters, most of which featuring one of three dark-haired young men. Two of the posters were autographed, and a shadow box held an autographed CD and t-shirt, and a stamped concert ticket. "Who's that?"

Elizabeth smiled up at her posters.

"Connect 3. They're like the best band _ever_. Last year Aunt Sharpay got me concert tickets for my birthday. She arranged it so that Brooke and I got to go backstage and meet Nate, Shane, and Jason," the girl sighed happily. "It was so cool."

"It sounds like fun," Gabriella said. Troy shook his head.

"I'm just _I _didn't have to go," he quipped. Elizabeth made a face at him.

"It's okay, Beth," Gabriella said. "Your dad once confessed to me that when he was in fifth grade "My Heart Will Go On" was his theme song."

"That was cold, Gabriella," Troy said, but he chuckled with them nonetheless. Their first "happy-family" moment was cut short by the chime of the doorbell.

"I'll get it," Elizabeth said softly. As she passed her parents, she kissed each of their cheeks softly. Once on the stairs, she shed the shy disposition she seemed to pick up whenever her mother was around. Taking the steps two at a time, she clunked down the staircase, sliding down the last few. She took a spinning leap off the bottom step, landing just in front of the door. She unfastened the locks and pulled the door open.

"Grandpa Jack! Grandma Lucy!" she cried excitedly, even though she and Troy had eaten supper at their house less than a week before. She took their coats eagerly, giving them each a hug as they came inside.

"Where's your mother?" Lucille asked her granddaughter. Elizabeth smiled.

"Upstairs with Dad. He has to bring her wheelchair down," she said. As she spoke she heard her parents moving around. "Dad! It's your folks!" she called up the stairs. "We're in the kitchen."

"Alright, Young Wildcat. Is the team ready to defend the championship?" Jack asked when she turned around.

"Of course we are. Dad makes sure of that," Beth said. "Come in the kitchen. There's coffee." Both grandparents followed her into the kitchen and took seats at the counter.

"So your Mom is doing well?" Lucille asked. Elizabeth nodded, setting five mugs on the countertop. "Are you excited to have her back?"

"Absolutely," Elizabeth said. "It's a little awkward, but we're muddling along."

"Good. I brought her some of the baby pictures that were at our house," the grandmother replied.

"She will love that," Elizabeth said. "Dad can't find any of them around here." Her back was turned, so Beth missed the uncomfortable look that her grandparents shared.

"Your dad never was very good at keeping track of those kinds of things," Jack said. Elizabeth turned back, a glass coffee pot in one hand, and a bottle of half-and-half in the other. She gave them a smile as she filled two of the cups with the dark liquid. The creamer was set on the counter next to a sugar bowl.

Elizabeth filled another coffee cup. It was bright red, with the words "World's Best Dad" inscribed on the side in blue letters. The fourth mug was plain and pink, and it held a brewing tea-bag. The last mug, Beth had left empty. She bit her lip, looking at the coffee pot.

"Does my mom drink coffee?" she asked at last. Lucille reached across the counter and patted Beth's shoulder comfortingly.

"She always preferred tea with sugar," she said gently. Elizabeth grinned.

"That must be where I get it from," she said, fixing another tea. As dropped the stirring-spoon into the sink, Troy pushed Gabriella's chair into the kitchen. Both of his parents jumped up from the counter.

"Oh Gabriella! It's so great to see you!" Lucille cried. When his wife took a brief break, Jack offered a fatherly hug. Elizabeth quickly prepared Bradley's breakfast, and ran it upstairs in a effort to avoid the sappy scene that was sure to follow. When she deemed it safe, Elizabeth returned. The family had moved to the living room.

"Why is there a puzzle glued to my coffee table?" Gabriella was asking when Elizabeth sat down. She snorted, trying to hide the laughter.

"Dad did it," she said at last. Her grandparents laughed with them. Fortunately for Troy, this was one mishap that he felt was funny as well.

"So what are your plans for today?" Jack asked at last.

"At some point I have to got get my car, but other than that I think we're just going to hang out here today," Troy said. "Beth's party is tomorrow, and that's sure to be exciting."

"That sounds perfect," Lucille said. "Jack and I though it might be nice to have a family party for Elizabeth tonight. All her friends will be around, and I'm sure she'll have better things to do that hang out with us old folks."

"You're still coming, right?" Elizabeth asked.

"Of course," Lucille said. "But we thought a cake and your present would be good tonight. Especially since its your mother's first birthday with you."

"That sounds beautiful, Mom," Gabriella said, hugging her daughter. Troy had settled her on the couch, and Elizabeth sat between her parents.

"Oh, Jack. We forgot to stop and get a cake!" Lucille said suddenly. "And my camera is in the car."

"Troy and I will take care of it," Jack replied. He heaved a groan as he climbed from his chair. "Son, let's go get your car, and we can pick up a cake while we're out."

"Drive safe," Gabriella whispered after Troy kissed her soundly. He promised her.

When he kissed Elizabeth's head, she felt the need to whisper as well. "_When I get in the car, you know I can- Buckle up, Buckle Up, Buckle Up!" _she sang.

Troy left, mumbling about troublemaking teenagers. Lucille crossed the room and sat with Gabriella and Elizabeth on the couch.

"I brought you some pictures," she said, handing over a photo album. It may not have been a fancy, hand-made scrapbook, but each picture was organized in its own protective sheath, three to a page.

"This is more like it," Gabby said. "Troy couldn't find his copies of the pictures." Her mother-in-law sighed sadly.

"That's because he doesn't have any, Dear," she said.

"Why not?" Elizabeth said unsteadily. "Dad has always loved to take pictures of me."

"What is it, Mom?" Gabriella asked.

"Jack and I had custody of Elizabeth after your accident."

"What?" Beth asked. "He told me that I was what got him through it. It's always been just me and him. Why would he keep something like that from me?"

"I'll start at the beginning. For the first few days after the accident, Troy seemed like he was going to be able to hold it together. It wasn't until he got home alone with the baby that he started getting depressed. He wasn't shaving, barely eating. Two weeks later, he was banging on our door at 3 a.m…."

_The door bell rang twice. Less than three seconds later, someone started pounding on the door. "What is going on?" Lucille asked, sitting up in bed. Jack, standing by the window, pulled aside the curtains just enough to see the street outside._

_"It's __Troy__'s car," he said. Lucille jumped up and pulled a robe over her nightgown. When she opened the door, she realized how pitiful troy looked. He was unshaven, and his eyes were rimmed with red and purple rings. The baby was in his arms, and a diaper bag was hanging over his shoulder._

_"Oh Honey," she started, but __Troy__ cut her off._

_"I can't do it, Mom," he said stiffly. In an abrupt motion, he pushed __Elizabeth__ into her arms. "I've got to get away for awhile. I need some time and some space. Take care of my baby. I promise I'll be back." As fast as he had appeared, __Troy__ was running down the driveway._

_"__Troy-__ where are you going?" she cried. "Come back!" _

"But he didn't. For a few weeks we worried. Then we got a call from that Ryan Evans boy. He told us that Troy was in New York. He had found work in a musical- imagine that. Ryan said that Troy's utter despair had earned him the lead in a revival of _Sweeney Todd_.

"We followed him in the paper. He was all set to be a prince in a revival of _Into the Woods_. Jack and I flew out for opening night. The Evanses had gotten us front row seats. Troy was spectacular."

_As the cast came out for a company bow, __Troy__ heard the crowd cheering. He looked down at the faces. There- in the front row- his parents. And in his mother's arms was the prettiest little girl he'd ever seen. His mother leaned over to whisper something to the girl._

_"Daddy!" she cried. __Troy__'s heart melted. For the first time in a very long time, his face broke out with a genuine grin. That was his daughter!_

_Troy__ ran to the edge of the stage and jumped to the ground. His feet controlled the movement of his body, and in seconds he had engulfed his little girl in his arms and was covering her face with kisses. "Oh Beth!" he whispered. "I'm so sorry. I love you so much!"_

"He came home with us that weekend, and took Beth back home. He's been the perfect father ever since. Troy just had to learn how to function without you, Gabriella," Lucille finished. Gabby and Elizabeth sat, shoulders touching and faces matching in perplexity.

"I don't remember any of that," Elizabeth said at last.

"It's no wonder; you were so little," Lucille said. She turned to Gabriella. The younger woman's eyes were overfull with tears, and she looked down at her lap. "Are you alright?"

"I just- this is all my fault. I'm so sorry- for my mom's death, and what Troy went through. And for Elizabeth growing up without a mother, and for her getting forced on you and Dad-"

"Mom!" Beth said, turning in her seat. "Don't ever say that again! None of that stuff was your fault. It was that truck driver. What's important is that we all found the strength to make it through."

"She's right, you know," Lucille said, rubbing Gabriella's back. "What happened has happened; we can't change that. Don't be afraid to live now. Get to know your daughter. She's a pretty fantastic young woman." Gabriella looked at her daughter.

"You really are beautiful," she said softly. Elizabeth crawled into her mother's arms. Tears flowed freely for both of them.

"I don't know what's wrong with me today," Beth said, wiping her eyes. "One second I'm happy, the next I'm bawling my eyes out."

"I feel the same way. It's such a big change," Gabriella said. While Gabby and Elizabeth sat together on the couch, looking through the pictures, Lucille quietly disappeared into the kitchen to start making lunch.

..…

"This was when I was six," Elizabeth said, showing Gabriella a picture. She was sitting around the living room with her parents and grandparents. Troy had retrieved some boxes of photographs from the closet, and they were spread out around the couch and coffee table, amid forks and plates from cake.

The picture Elizabeth was referring to showed her in a brown uniform, hair in pigtails. "Dad had me in Girl Scouts, and he was our 'Cookie Mom'. He had to supervise the entire sale."

"What about this one?" Gabriella asked. The shot was taken from above. Chad stood in a grassy pit, holding a small, red-headed little girl. An angry-looking tiger posed only a few feet away. Elizabeth giggled.

"Oh- that's a classic," she said. "It was only a couple of years ago. We took Jack to the zoo, and while we were there, a little girl fell into the tiger pit. Uncle Chad didn't even think about it; he just jumped in and scooped up the little girl. Then the tiger chased him around, while Aunt Taylor screamed. The zookeeper had to tranquilize the tiger before they could get out. It wasn't very funny at the time, but now I can't help but laugh."

"I didn't realize that the zoo could be so dangerous," Gabriella said.

"Only if you're a Danforth," Troy returned with a smile.


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: **So first my hard drive fried and I had to get it repaired. Then my sister was in the hospital with an extremely rare blood disease (called Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura, or more pronounceably TTP ), I saw my dad for the first time in a long time, and my other sister had to move back into college, and it's just been a very eventful summer. Oh- the songs I used in this chapter were "It Was You" by Dana Glover, and "Live to Party" by the Jonas Brothers.

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**Strength  
Chapter Ten**

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Elizabeth woke up early the next day. She slipped out of bed and down to the garage. She could hear her dad inside, dribbling down the court.

She opened the door, watching him run towards the basket.

"Bolton steals the ball," she cried. "He shoots, he scores! A victory to go down in history!"

Troy turned and flashed her a grin. "Did you expect anything less?"

"How about a little humility?" Beth replied. "By the way, good morning."

"Morning," he said. "So, yesterday was fun."

"It was," Elizabeth agreed. She decided to just come out and ask her dad something that had been bothering her since the day before. "Dad, Grandma told us about the time after mom's accident. New York, the custody arrangement, musicals . . . why didn't you ever tell me?"

Troy sighed. After a thoughtful moment he said, "I guess I was ashamed of myself. I wanted to make your mother proud- to take care of you and be strong. But for those two years I blew it."

"But I'm proud of you," Beth offered. "I mean, _my_ dad sang on Broadway. None of my friends can say that."

"Speaking of your friends, I guess you should go get ready for your party. Unless, of course, you plan on wearing that?"

"Definitely not," she said, glancing down at her grungy East High t-shirt and red flannel shorts. Elizabeth made her way towards the door. At the last moment she turned back around. Her dad was dribbling the ball towards the basket again.

"Hey Dad?" Elizabeth said.

"Yeah?" Troy asked.

"I have a feeling that this is going to be a very big year for me. I just want to tell you that no matter what changes come our way, you'll always be my favorite on-on-one opponent," she said. Troy dropped the ball and stretched out his arms to hug her.

"Thanks, sweetheart," he said. "Happy birthday."

"Love you, Dad," Elizabeth said, and slipped into the house.

…..

Gabriella's stomach churned as she watched Troy load her wheelchair into the back of his car. She dreaded the drive to Elizabeth's party, but she didn't want to miss the event. Her mother-in-law's words rang through her head: _Don't be afraid to live now. Get to know your daughter. She's a pretty fantastic young woman. _That was exactly what Gabriella planned to do. So as she sat on the porch steps among the party supplies, she took slow, deep breaths.

Troy sank down beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Are you sure you want to go? I could get Chad to take her to the party," he offered.

"I can't miss this; it's her first birthday that I've been conscious for," Gabriella responded. "Besides, I keep thinking about something that your mom said last night."

"What was that?"

"That we can't change what happened, and 'Don't be afraid to live now.'" Gabriella said softly. "It's going to be rough Troy, but I'll be okay."

"Would you feel more comfortable sitting in the back with the girls?" Troy asked. "Beth might be quiet most of the time, but Brooke could talk the ears off a corn stalk. And together… well, if anyone can distract you, it's them."

"Hi Mr. B!" called a voice. Troy and Gabriella glanced across the yard. Brooke was walking towards them. She carried a box and two bags.

"Speak of the devil," Troy said as Elizabeth ran out of the door.

"Be nice, Dad," she said, stepping around him to hug her best friend.

"Elizabeth, darling! Happy birthday!" Brooke cried, dropping her packages in Troy's lap and flinging her arms around Beth. When Elizabeth was finally freed, she turned to her parents.

"Mom, I want you to meet my best friend, Liana Brooklyn Lewis, or as the rest of the world calls her, Brooke. Brooke, this is my mother."

"That's quite a name, young lady," Gabriella said, shaking the offered hand and noticing that each fingernail was painted in a different color.

"It's lovely to meet you, Mrs. Bolton," Brooke said. "I've been a regular guest in your home since I was five. Beth and I met in kindergarten and have been simply inseparable."

"It's nice to meet you too, Brooke," Gabriella returned. "Elizabeth tells me that you do a lot of singing."

"Oh, tons. I've been singing practically since before I was born. I want to do it professionally someday," Brooke said. "I've been in several school productions, and now we're doing my favorite play ever 'The Phantom of the Opera.' It's always been my dream to play Christine. If I don't get the part I'll just die. I'm so excited to-"

"Now you did it," Troy said to Gabriella, interrupting. "If you start her talking on music, she never stops."

Brooke stuck her tongue out at him. "We'll talk later, Mrs. B." She turned to Elizabeth. "Is that what you're wearing?"

Beth looked down at her clothes. She wore a bright pink shirt under a black zip-up hoodie, and a pair of jeans. Her shoes were pink to match the shirt. She thought she looked decent for a party.

"What's wrong with my outfit?" Elizabeth asked.

"Nothing, except everything," Brooke said, snatching the box off of Troy's lap and pushing it into her friend's arms. "Here, open my present. You need it."

Elizabeth opened the box and pushed back the tissue paper. A long-sleeve dress patterned in a dozen shades of blue lay inside. When she lifted the skirt out, she saw a pair of blue flat shoes with black bows on them.

"It's perfect, Brooke!" she exclaimed, going back inside the house. "Come on- help me change."

"By the time we get to your party you'll be sixteen," Troy called after them.

"So bring an extra candle," Brooke retorted from the top of the stairs. "We'll be right down, Mr. B."

"How did you survive this for the last nine years?" Gabriella asked.

"I'm the dad," Troy said.

"And what exactly does that mean?"

"I just shut up and carry the bags," Troy said, still shaking his head.

…..

Elizabeth and Brooke were an effective distraction on the long ride to Lava Springs. The weather was too cold for an outdoor party, so Sharpay had reserved a very large recreational room. There was plenty of room to dance and move, and area to sit and eat. While she rested her aching feet on a plush stool, Sharpay had done an excellent job directing the people who hung the decorations. Violet, blue, and pink balloons and streamers were arranged elegantly throughout the hall. The snack table was arranged in the center of the room. The cake was on a raised plate, surrounded by food, flowers, and gifts.

Troy bustled around at first, trying to make sure that everything was settled. Then he spotted Chad and Zeke. Before he walked off to see the guys, Troy settled Gabriella's chair in the sun near the window. She wasn't sitting there more than two minutes before Kelsi sat down next to her.

"Hey," she said with a grin. "How's the proud mother?"

"Wishing this was the fifteenth birthday party she'd been to," Gabriella replied, sipping on her drink.

"Hey Gabby," Jason said, kissing her on the cheek as he passed on towards the other guys.

"How's work, Kels?" Gabriella asked.

"You know, I love it. The kids I've been working with are awesome. And they're so excited about the show."

"Beth told me about the auditions. Her friend Brooke will probably be harassing you at some point during the party."

"Mmm," Kelsi said in agreement; her mouth was too full for speech. They talked lightly for awhile, watching the party. Most of the kids knew Kelsi, and a few wandered by to say hello. Kelsi ended up telling Gabriella about her students.

"And Oliver is such a character. I don't know what I'm going to do with the boy," Kelsi said. As she spoke, Gabriella was engulfed by two arms in a white sports jacket.

"Hi, Gabby!" cried Ryan Evans.

Kelsi smiled thinly. "I'll come back later, Gabriella," she said, picking up her drink. Ryan watched her wander away, face blank. Then he turned back to Gabriella and grinned.

"So, there you are, back from the dead," he said. His smile was contagious. Gabriella put aside the questions she had for Kelsi.

"Wow, Ryan! How are you?"

"I'm excellent," he said, sitting down in the vacated chair. "Very busy, but excellent."

"Sharpay told me that your new show opened Friday night. Congratulations."

"'s called _Mirror_. So far we've had a very good opening weekend."

"I'd love to see the show sometime," Gabriella said. Ryan told her about the plot, and the cast.

"My fiancé, Amy, is the star. Obviously, she had to stay in the Big Apple, but I'll bring her around soon."

"I'll look forward to that as well," Gabriella told him.

"Uncle Ryan!" Beth said, coming over. She leaned over the back of his chair to give him a hug. "I didn't think you'd be in town this weekend."

"Well I _had _planned to stay in New York, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see the Bolton ladies together," Ryan said teasingly. He held out a small box with a silk ribbon tied around it. "I brought you something."

"Thanks," Elizabeth said, taking the box. Dangling from a silver chain was an eighth note. A sparkly garnet was set in the base of the note. "Oh, it's beautiful! Thank you!" Elizabeth exclaimed, giving out another hug.

"Garnets are your birthstone, aren't they?" Gabriella asked. Nodding, Elizabeth got down so her mother could fasten the chain around her neck.

"I love it, Uncle Ryan. Thank you so much."

"You're welcome," he said. Then he turned to Gabriella. "I just wanted to see you Gabriella. I'm going to settle into my room. I'd like to give you a call later and catch up a little more."

"Sounds like a plan," Gabriella agreed. As he left the room, he passed a young man who was just arriving. Dressed in a maroon hoodie and jeans, this boy was tall, blond, and handsome. Gabriella noticed her daughter noticing the boy. "Who is that?"

"Danny. He's new at school, and we have a lot of the same classes. I've been showing him around, and I thought he might like to meet some people at my party," Elizabeth explained, her eyes never leaving the boy.

Just then, Brooke ran up to them.

"Look who's he-re," she said in a sing-song voice.

"Go say hello," Gabriella said. Beth grinned.

"Okay," she said, brushing past her mother. She turned briefly and kissed Gabriella's cheek.

"I'm glad you're here, Mom," she whispered.

…..

When he arrived at the party, Danny made his way over to the first familiar face he saw.

"Hola, Cunningham," Jeremy said easily.

"Hey," he replied as Elizabeth approached.

"So you made it," she said with a smile.

"Yeah," Danny said. His face was round and wide-ish; perfect for easy grins. There was an awkward pause, then Danny held out a small gift tote. "This is for you."

"Thanks. You didn't have to get me anything."

"Yes I did. You've made my first week at East High a lot easier than it could have been."

"Well, it was my pleasure," she said. The conversation waned. Jeremy coughed softly.

"So, Danny, do you plan on playing basketball next season?" he asked. Brooke shot him a look that clearly said she thought that was a stupid question.

"Yeah, man. I was on the team up north, but then we moved. I miss it."

"Well, with the way you played at the practice game the other da-"

"Jeremy, would you come with me to pick some new music?" Brooke interrupted.

"S-sure," he said, giving Brooke an odd look. He glanced back at Elizabeth and Danny. "Later."

"What was that about?" Danny asked, following them with his eyes. Elizabeth bit her lip, hesitating.

"Brooke- well Brooke does whatever she wants to really. She's not shy in the least bit. And she has no shame, even if she's budding into business that is everyone's but her own."

"I'm not sure I follow," Danny said. Elizabeth looked into his very green eyes.

"Brooke thinks that you and I should date," she said.

"Oh," Danny said. He gave Elizabeth another of his easy grins. "And what do _you_ think?" Now Elizabeth stared at the carpet, following the flowery pattern.

"The idea isn't _completely _ridiculous," Elizabeth said. "I like you a lot, Danny, but I don't really know you very well. I don't think my dad would go for us dating yet."

"I agree," Danny said. "I would _love_ to ask you out, but I think we should get to know each other better at school first."

"You, know, musical audition results come out tomorrow. If Brooke doesn't get the part she wants, she'll be in mourning, and if she does get the part, well let's just say either way there will be no living with her. I wouldn't be opposed to snaking off and having lunch in the gym."

"A courtside picnic? That sound perfect," Danny agreed. As he agreed, Brooke's new song started to play over the speakers.

"_There is something that I see  
In the way you look at me  
There's a smile, there's a truth in your eyes  
But an unexpected way  
On this unexpected day  
Could it mean this is where I belong  
It is you I have loved all along"_

"Another subtle hint from the mind of Brooke Lewis?" Danny asked.

"Definitely," Elizabeth confirmed. "Tactless, right?" Danny chuckled.

"She's just being Brooke; can't fault her for that." Both of them looked over towards Brooke. Jeremy had brushed past her to the computer system and was scrolling through a list of songs. A new, more upbeat tune began to play.

"Ooh, Connect 3!" Elizabeth said.

"_Live to party, bust your move.  
__Everybody's in the groove.  
__Tell the d.j. to play our song.  
Are you ready to rock and roll?"_

"This is a great song," Danny said.

"Yeah, I love Connect 3. Wanna dance?" Elizabeth asked. Danny grinned and they joined Brooke and Jeremy on the dance floor.

…..

Brooke, Zeke, and Sharpay all stopped by Gabriella's chair to talk, but it was awhile before Kelsi came back. When she did, and they were alone again, Gabriella brought up something that had been troubling her for awhile.

"You know, Kelsi, last I remember you were engaged to Ryan, not hiding from him. What happened?"

"Well, we broke up about two years after your accident," Kelsi said with a sigh, studying her fingernails. The nail polish on one finger was chipped. She picked at it, causing it to flake off.

"You two were so close," Gabriella said. "What could have come between you?" When Kelsi looked up, her eyes were glistening.

"I lost a baby," she said, sniffling. "Then Ryan started being in shows. He was never home, and when he was, I had my own stuff going on. We just grew apart. Finally, I came home to Albuquerque. I lived with my dad for a couple of years, until I got hired at East High."

"I'm so sorry, Kels," Gabriella offered, holding out a napkin for her friend. Kelsi smiled gratefully, wiping her eyes.

"Well, what's done is done," she said. "I mean, Jason and I are reasonably happy, but-"

"But what?"

"Well, sometimes it feels like I'm settling for him, since I can't be with Ryan. I miss what we had. I'd hoped we could work it out, but now that he's seeing that Amy-girl, well I just let it go."

"Kelsi, someone really smart once said that anything worth having is worth fighting for. Those really smart guys that get quoted all the time, they usually know what they're talking about."

"I'll keep that in mind," Kelsi said with a faint smile. They watched the party for in silence for a time.

"You know, it feels like everyday I'm finding out some big secret from the years I missed," Gabriella reflected eventually. "It feels like everyone has changed except for me."

"Well, over the years we all had our personal dramas, but they didn't all happen at the same time; you're just finding out about them all at once. You'll catch up."

"Thanks Kels," Gabby said as a commotion broke out in the center of the room. A redheaded boy passed nearby, chanting the word cake.

"I think it's time for cake," Kelsi said, as Troy approached Gabriella's chair to bring her closer to their daughter.

…..

Late that night, after her parents gone off to bed, Elizabeth put on her nightgown and sat cross-legged on her bed. As Bradley settled down beside her, she pulled a small tote bag out of her purse. It was the gift from Danny. She wasn't sure why she had waited to open this present, but it had just felt right.

Reaching through the tissue paper, Elizabeth's hand closed on a small box. Inside this box there was a silver bracelet. As she lifted this bracelet, she noticed six glittering charms dangling from the chain. They included first was a tiny basketball, a tiny cat, a cluster of music notes, a red "E," a small theater mask, and a beaver. Smiling, Elizabeth fastened the bracelet around her wrist. As she picked up the now-empty gift wrappings, she spotted a folded piece of paper in the bottom of the box. She picked it up, to see Danny's boxy handwriting.

_Elizabeth,_

_What I've learned about you so far:_

_1- You love basketball_

_2- You have a black cat named Bradley _

_3- You have an __amazing__ voice_

_4- "Go Wildcats!"_

_5- You're a great friend_

_Thanks again for this week._

_-Danny_

His words left Elizabeth even more confused than before. She really liked Danny, but she was feeling an emotional overload for the weekend. She decided to go forth with their plan to get to know each other better, and see what came of the relationship. Bradley stood up and shoved his body between Beth and her note, waking her from her thoughts. She giggled softly as the cat's warm body rubbed against her.

"Right. You're the most important boy in my life," she told him, hugging the cat to her chest. He began to purr, kneading his paws up and down on her arm. Elizabeth settled back into her bed, checking to make sure that her alarm clock was set. Bradley lay down beside her, still purring. Beth reached over to shut off her lamp, her new bracelet shimmering on her wrist.


End file.
